I LEGO N.Y. [Board book]

Christoph Niemann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2010

I LEGO N.Y. is an imaginative look at life in New York City constructed entirely out of LEGOs. Designer and illustrator Christoph Niemann was inspired to create a series of miniature New York vignettes out of his sons' toys after a few cold and dark winter days in Berlin. The former New Yorker then posted photographs of his creations along with his handwritten captions on his New York Times blog. Resident and honorary New Yorkers around the world responded enthusiastically to the clever and minimalist inventions, which captured both the iconic (the Empire State Building) and the mundane (man standing on a subway platform) in fewer LEGO pieces than one might think possible. This book includes all of the original images, plus thirteen new creations. The resulting collection is delightful in its simplicity and moving in its ability to cature the spirit of life in New York in so few strokes.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Christoph Niemann is an award-winning illustrator and children’s book author. He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker, Wired, and The New York Times. He has won numerous awards from the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the Art Directors Club, and American Illustration. He is the author of two children’s books, The Pet Dragon and The Police Cloud.

Product Details

• Board book: 32 pages
• Publisher: Abrams Image; Brdbk edition (March 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810984903
• ISBN-13: 978-0810984905
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 7.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #110,958 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Witty, March 15, 2010

By 

Vivien Li (Westwood (Los Angeles), CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I LEGO N.Y. (Board book)

Mr. Niemann makes me laugh every single time. He definitely makes me see mundane things in an entirely new light. I'm not sure actually buying this book is necessary because he has a blog on the NYTimes website called "Abstract City," and this entire lego-themed book was one of his early posts. Check it out first, and I guarantee you'll fall in love with his style. But this is a good way to help support his work, too.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a great gift for someone who loves New York City, March 14, 2010

By 

Robert C. Ross (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I LEGO N.Y. (Board book)

A friend sent my wife a copy of this amusing little love letter as a get well gift. Christoph Niemann has put together a number of very amusing little vignettes of the City made out of a few Lego pieces. Charming, clever and evocative.

Some of these appeared on his New York Times blog; he writes ""I LEGO N.Y." A playful homage to New York. Now available as a nice chunky board book. With all the images from the original blog + a handful of new ones."

It's well worth visiting his website to explore his wonderful take on a wide variety of subjects -- Google on his full name and the site should appear on top of the pile.

Robert C. Ross 2010

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars And my daughter thought it was for her..., February 27, 2010

By 

Lidija Markes (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I LEGO N.Y. (Board book)

I happened to see this book at Toys'R'Us and picked it up right away, not wanting to wait until it gets delivered (even though I do have Amazon Prime...) Christoph Niemann is an amazing illustrator, I follow his work in The New York Times religiously (my personal favorite being The Boys and the Subway: [...]) and even though this book was in a kids store and is supposed to be a book for kids, I had to disappoint my daughter and tell her Mommy was buying this for herself. Looking at it on the train ride home, I couldn't help but chuckle. These illustrations are smart and fun and delightful and anybody who loves New York City should absolutely own a copy of this book. Can't wait for the Subway one that's coming out this spring...