Maya Lin - by Jeanne Walker Harvey (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

The bold story of Maya Lin, the visionary artist-architect who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

You may be familiar with the iconic Vietnam Veterans Memorial. But do you know about the artist-architect who created this landmark?

As a child, Maya Lin loved to study the spaces around her. She explored the forest in her backyard, observing woodland creatures, and used her house as a model to build tiny towns out of paper and scraps. The daughter of a clay artist and a poet, Maya grew up with art and learned to think with her hands as well as her mind. From her first experiments with light and lines to the height of her success nationwide, this is the story of an inspiring American artist: the visionary artist-architect who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

A Christy Ottaviano Book

Review Quotes

An Amazon Best Book of the Year
A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book
An Amazon Best Book of the Month
A NSTA Best STEM Book of the Year
A NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A Washington Post Book that Can Help Build Strong Girls and Boys for Today's World
An Evanston Public Library Best Book of the Year
A Texas Topaz List Selection
An NCIBA Book Award Nominee
A CCBC Master List Selection

"Phumiruk's use of perspective is often striking. . . Harvey's text makes thoughtful, relatable connections between Lin's work and the themes of her life."--The Horn Book, starred review

"The clean lines in Phumiruk's deliberately sparse, light-infused spreads and the placement of slender, pillar like passages of text reinforce the breathtaking beauty of Lin's sleek landmark. With a closing author'snote detailing Lin's motivations for projects past and present, this is an artful resource for dreamers of all ages."-Booklist

"Quietly inspiring . . . The simple yet lyrical narrative flows effortlessly . . . an ideal choice to pair with STEAM-related activities. The soft color palette of the digital illustrations provides a complementary backdrop to the words, and Phumiruk ably conveys Lin's determination."--School Library Journal

"Phumiruk's clean-lined, crisp illustrations, done in Photoshop, and light palette emphasize connections between Lin's concepts and the strong influences of nature on Lin's art. . . A fine celebration of a renowned woman artist."--Kirkus Reviews

"Textual and visual sparseness that echoes Lin's minimalist style."-Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Jeanne Walker Harvey studied literature and psychology at Stanford University and has had many jobs, ranging from being a roller coaster ride operator to an attorney and, most recently a middle school teacher of Language Arts and writing workshops. She is the author of several books for young readers, including My Hands Sing the Blues: Romare Bearden's Childhood Journey. She lives in California.

Dow Phumiruk is a general pediatrician with a passion for art. She lives in Colorado with her husband and three girls. When she is not teaching medical students or drawing, she can be found hiking on the trails near her home. Maya Lin is her picture book debut.