From School Library Journal
Grade 3-8-This oversized book consists of 14 double-page foldout illustrations accompanied by one-page narratives that offer historical and literary background along with tongue-in-cheek comments about legendary places. The elaborate maps are of places such as "The Seven Cities of Gold" and "Atlantis." History is interwoven with legend; "An Egyptian Chronicle" offers many facts about the age of Ramses II, while Dinosaur Island is based on Arthur Conan Doyle's imaginary The Lost World. The premise is that the book is based on Lorenz's own travels. A flat, plastic magnifying glass attached to the inside front cover makes it easier to view the intricate details and tiny lettering. The captions are interesting, but the true fun lies in the elaborate drawings. However, though each one is fascinating in its own way, the package never quite comes together the way Graeme Base's The Discovery of Dragons (Abrams, 1996) does, and the narrator and his travels seem contrived. Nevertheless, the artwork will draw many readers.
Steven Engelfried, Deschutes County Library, Bend, OR
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Steven Engelfried, Deschutes County Library, Bend, OR
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From the Publisher
Albert Lorenz's intricately detailed illustrations hold adults and children equally in their thrall. The New Yorker described his book Metropolis as "Packed with information and visual excitement." Now this imaginative artist has created a diabolically clever book: packaged to resemble a leather map case, Buried Blueprints(r) opens to reveal 14 large, fold-out illustrations that take readers on enthralling journeys into myth, legend, and literature. There is even a magnifying glass so that no one misses a single detail of this amazing art, originally created for Bepuzzled's popular Buried Blueprints(r) jigsaw puzzles. From a cutaway view of Noah's Ark to a map that situates the lost city of Atlantis among such equally mysterious landmarks as Camelot, the Mines of King Solomon, the Tower of Babel, and Shangri-La, Buried Blueprints(r)-complete with humorous comments and brain-teasing questions-will rivet readers' attention for many pleasure-filled hours. Magnifying glass. 14 fold-out illustrations in full color,1011/2 x 1411/2" Albert Lorenz, a professor of media at Pratt Institute in New York City, is the author of two Abrams books, House and Metropolis. He has won numerous honors for his illustrations. Joy Schleh, an award-winning freelance illustrator, collaborated on the art for this and Albert Lorenz's other Abrams books.
