A pigeon carrying an important message takes the reader on a unique tour through Rome. As we follow the path of this somewhat wayward bird, we discover that Rome is a place where past and present live side by side. It is a city that has been recycling itself for two thousand years, but unlike a museum, Rome displays its remarkable history without respect for chronology. A new electric bus travels over cobblestone streets just ten feet above the floor of an ancient stadium. Inscriptions from tombs and temples share wall space with neon. Every time a corner is turned there is a surprise, just as every turn of the page brings a new perspective. This juxtaposition of ancient and modern, as seen with David Macaulay's ingenious vision, gives the reader an imaginative and informative journey through this wondrous city.
Rome Antics
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Amazon.com Review
"Somewhere in the Italian hills, a homing pigeon is released. She soars quickly and follows an old road, which (of course) leads to Rome." So begins Caldecott Medal-winning artist David Macaulay's visually festive journey that tracks the whimsical flight of a homing pigeon through the archways, over the terra-cotta rooftops, and between the columns of this most ancient and vibrant city: "Instead of traveling directly to her destination, which is standard pigeon procedure, she decides to take the scenic route." Macaulay's angle of vision pans back and forth between the pigeon's-eye view and that of a roaming cinematographer. The effect is a kaleidoscope of whirling, swooping, dizzying images that must resemble flight itself. Macaulay's intricately crosshatched pen-and-ink images of Rome--with its ancient amphitheater, Colosseum, Temple of Hercules, elaborate fountains, and bustling cafes (with a feast of crumbs for a travel-weary pigeon)--provide a dazzling display of architectural finery. We are so swept up in the homing pigeon's divergent path--marked on the black-and-white vistas by a thin red line--that we momentarily forget she has a task at talon. All is explained in the uplifting one-word message joyfully delivered by the pigeon to the sketch artist (Macaulay himself?) shown at work in the last scene of the book. Rome Antics concludes with an aerial map of the city, marked with the pigeon's flight path. Roman sites from the Arch of Constantine to the Pantheon are briefly described as well. This lovely visual serenade to Rome is a delight for anyone who could fall in love with such a city as this. (All ages)
From School Library Journal
Grade 5 Up. Macaulay's trademark bird's-eye views of famous works of architecture become in this book the literal substance of the text. Modern Rome is seen through the skewed perspective of a homing pigeon's erratic flight through the city streets as she delivers a message to an artist in a garret. Darting and swooping above rooftops and into alleyways, the bird takes readers on a haphazard tour as it catches an overhead view of the Colosseum, sees churches aslant and turned upside down, sails into the sky above a piazza, and makes brief forays down cobbled streets to search for crumbs. Macaulay adds sly touches of humor to the pen-and-ink sketches, as voracious cats eye the pigeon and people pursue their chores and pleasures, oblivious of the bird's flight, which is indicated by a thin red line. The famous landmarks are here, perhaps seen only as a piece of a cornice, the columns of a structure, or a section of an ancient wall. The book includes a map of the city "As the pigeon flies" with each structure numbered, and an addendum shows the 22 featured buildings with a paragraph or two of interesting facts about each one. As a guidebook to modern Rome, Macaulay's sketchbook is unconventional and too sophisticated for young children, but for those with a knowledge of, or a yearning to see one of the great cities of the world, it is full of informative details and amusing incidents.?Shirley Wilton, Ocean County College, Toms River, NJ
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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More About the Author
David Macaulay is an award-winning author and illustrator whose books have sold millions of copies in the United States alone, and his work has been translated into a dozen languages. Macaulay has garnered numerous awards including the Caldecott Medal and Honor Awards, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the Christopher Award, an American Institute of Architects Medal, and the Washington Post-Children's Book Guild Nonfiction Award. In 2006, he was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, given "to encourage people of outstanding talent to pursue their own creative, intellectual, and professional inclinations." Superb design, magnificent illustrations, and clearly presented information distinguish all of his books. David Macaulay lives with his family in Vermont.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By untitled841
Format:Hardcover
With over 136+ great vocabulary words this book provides more learning than most children's books (vocabulary depends on your child's level).
The plot is thick enough to keep even the adult reading it hooked. It all starts when a homing pigeon is sent out with a message changes her usual path to tour the city of Rome on her way to deliver the message. In true Italian style there is a café, piazza, a soccer game, churches, mopeds, a crumb hunt and more pigeons!
The book is presented in simple black and white drawings with the pigeon's path traced in red. The pictures of the story cover at least 85% of each page with the words at the bottom, as well as labels for each site in Rome that the pigeon is flying past. On the last pages these monuments are listed and briefly described. The font is easy for most children to read, and there are no italicized words making letter distinction even easier to handle for children.
All in all a great story for child and reader that does an amazing job describing a foreign city down to the last detail keeping everyone entertained.
The plot is thick enough to keep even the adult reading it hooked. It all starts when a homing pigeon is sent out with a message changes her usual path to tour the city of Rome on her way to deliver the message. In true Italian style there is a café, piazza, a soccer game, churches, mopeds, a crumb hunt and more pigeons!
The book is presented in simple black and white drawings with the pigeon's path traced in red. The pictures of the story cover at least 85% of each page with the words at the bottom, as well as labels for each site in Rome that the pigeon is flying past. On the last pages these monuments are listed and briefly described. The font is easy for most children to read, and there are no italicized words making letter distinction even easier to handle for children.
All in all a great story for child and reader that does an amazing job describing a foreign city down to the last detail keeping everyone entertained.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By S.
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Wonderful! Macauley's lively yet precise drawing of bits and pieces of Rome forms a witty masterpiece!
The more familiar you are with the architecture of the City of Rome, the more you will cherish this book!
It is also a wonderful introduction to the city for a child: Rome can be overwhelming and in Rome Antics Macauley makes the city into child's play!
The more familiar you are with the architecture of the City of Rome, the more you will cherish this book!
It is also a wonderful introduction to the city for a child: Rome can be overwhelming and in Rome Antics Macauley makes the city into child's play!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
David is an awesome writer and can sketch a picture that will draw you in. He uses all this to covertly educate you on the topic at hand. Rome Antics is clever from the title page on. Buy it and enjoy it.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Usually a big Macaulay fan, but this book has poor drawings and no...
We are a big fan of David Macaulay's books, such as Pyramid, Castle, Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction, and Mill. Read more
Published 11 months ago by HeatherHH
3.0 out of 5 stars
creative and fun; no plot
This book reminds me of "Once Upon A Banana" by Jennifer Armstrong in showing a series of scenes and something moving through the pages (in this case, a homing pigeon. Read more
Published 19 months ago by M. Heiss
5.0 out of 5 stars
Get This Book
Art and adventure come full circle in this delightful journey through the streets of Rome.
Published on August 27, 2010 by Vitreau
3.0 out of 5 stars
Rome Antics by David Macaulay
Cute story, but was hoping it was like his other book Motel of the Mysteries and it wasn't the same. Read more
Published on September 11, 2008 by R. Miller
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great pictures, simple story, must-have for Rome fans
This book is a trip through Roma from a pigeon's point of view. The pigeon flies around, through, over and past many of Rome's historical landmarks, and a brief section in back... Read more
Published on May 15, 2002 by Carolyn McKenzie
5.0 out of 5 stars
The perfect engagement gift!
Share David MacAuley's obviously personal portrait of Rome. It's a portrait in the most obvious sense: lovingly detailed drawings of Rome's greatest architecture captured from... Read more
Published on December 9, 1997
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Rome Antics" for those in love with Rome and otherwise.
This is the finest illustrated gift book for the Romaphiles that you love!! Get it now and make a gift to the one you love. It will be appreciated for years to come.
Published on December 4, 1997
