Iggy Peck, Architect

Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty
Illustrated by David Roberts
2007

     Iggy Peck has been an architect since he was two, "when he built a great tower -in only an hour- with nothing but diapers and glue."  By three his parents new his passion for architecture was going to stick: "he built churches and chapels from peaches and apples, and temples from modeling clay." His parents were always supportive, even when he built the St. Lois Arch during dinner using nothing but pancakes and coconut pie.  His passion kept growing but then he reached the second grade and met his teacher Miss Lila Greer.  She hated building and architecture! It all steamed from an unfortunate trip to a skyscraper when she was a little girl; she got lost and "was found two days later stuck, eating cheese with a French circus troupe.  After that day "she thought all building-lovers were nuts."
     Not being allowed to build anything, bummed out Iggy and turned second grade into a bore.  One day, the class went on a picnic.  The crossed a bridge to get to an island where they would have the picnic, but as the last kid got across, the bridge collapsed.  Miss Greer fainted and Iggy came up with a plan.  He designed a new bridge and built it with his classmates and when Miss Greer woke up, they where all safe back on the mainland.
     Iggy Peck, Architect is quirky and delightful book.  The story is funny and the illustrations are fantastic.  It's about finding your passion and sticking with it.  There are not many books out there about being an architect so this  is a good one to add to any classroom or bookshelf.