“I consider myself first and foremost and illustrator, in the broadest sense, someone who makes things clear though pictures and teaches through pictures.” - David Macaulay
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David Macaulay was born in England. Although the only lived there until he was eleven that was where he spent his childhood, before he moved to America where adulthood began for him. At first Macaulay was a timid young boy who lived in New Jersey whose only friend was his imagination. Whenever he was able to Macaulay spent his days daydreaming and playing alone, “my [his] imagination never stopped protecting me [him], coming back to play when I [he] needed it.” When his family moved to Rhode Island David discovered his artistic talent when he began drawing pictures of the Beatles for his classmates. Moving onto bigger and better things after high school Macaulay entered the Rhode Island School of Design where he studied architecture. After spending his fifth year at the college and finally receiving his degree Macaulay vowed to never practice architecture and instead turned to books.
Although his first story wasn't something that impressed editors at Houghton Mifflin (it was about a gargoyle beauty pageant..) they were impressed with his drawings of the church in the story. So impressed in fact, that they commissioned him to go to France and research a cathedral there and create a picture book about the construction of a cathedral. Thanks to that trip the world now has Cathedral: The Story of its Construction. Spurred on by the success of this book Macaulay made a whole collection of titles similar to the first including: City: A Story of Roman Planning and Construction, Pyramid, Castle, and Mill. Once his reputation as both an author and an illustrator had been established Macaulay and the publishing companies were no longer dictating what they wanted Macaulay moved onto some riskier works. Unbuilding is a book that reverses the normal building process and instead takes a skyscraper apart. Baaa is one of Macaulay’s first books that didn't focus on architecture and was instead about a world where humans have disappeared. In place of the humans sheep come in and begin living the lives of the humans, only to suffer the same fate as the humans and disappear themselves.
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David Macaulay was born in England. Although the only lived there until he was eleven that was where he spent his childhood, before he moved to America where adulthood began for him. At first Macaulay was a timid young boy who lived in New Jersey whose only friend was his imagination. Whenever he was able to Macaulay spent his days daydreaming and playing alone, “my [his] imagination never stopped protecting me [him], coming back to play when I [he] needed it.” When his family moved to Rhode Island David discovered his artistic talent when he began drawing pictures of the Beatles for his classmates. Moving onto bigger and better things after high school Macaulay entered the Rhode Island School of Design where he studied architecture. After spending his fifth year at the college and finally receiving his degree Macaulay vowed to never practice architecture and instead turned to books.
Although his first story wasn't something that impressed editors at Houghton Mifflin (it was about a gargoyle beauty pageant..) they were impressed with his drawings of the church in the story. So impressed in fact, that they commissioned him to go to France and research a cathedral there and create a picture book about the construction of a cathedral. Thanks to that trip the world now has Cathedral: The Story of its Construction. Spurred on by the success of this book Macaulay made a whole collection of titles similar to the first including: City: A Story of Roman Planning and Construction, Pyramid, Castle, and Mill. Once his reputation as both an author and an illustrator had been established Macaulay and the publishing companies were no longer dictating what they wanted Macaulay moved onto some riskier works. Unbuilding is a book that reverses the normal building process and instead takes a skyscraper apart. Baaa is one of Macaulay’s first books that didn't focus on architecture and was instead about a world where humans have disappeared. In place of the humans sheep come in and begin living the lives of the humans, only to suffer the same fate as the humans and disappear themselves.
His first success was Cathedral, which received the Caldecott Honor Award in 1973. Due to this win Macaulay shifted his attention to completely focus on writing and illustrating. In 1991 Macaulay once again received the ALA's attention with his work Black and White, which was awarded the Caldecott medal. Macaulay was ecstatic when this particular book received recognition because it “tells readers, especially young ones, that it is essential to see, not merely to look; that words and pictures can support each other; that it isn't necessary to think in a straight line to make sense; and finally that risks can be rewarded.
As the years wore on PBS became quite interested in some of Macaulay’s style of books. First came the television series that Macaulay was the executive producer for. The series that PBS produced for television wanted to introduce their audiences about all of the major bridges, tunnels, skyscrapers, dams, and domes. After the series was done filming Macaulay returned home followed up the series with his book Building Big.
As the years wore on PBS became quite interested in some of Macaulay’s style of books. First came the television series that Macaulay was the executive producer for. The series that PBS produced for television wanted to introduce their audiences about all of the major bridges, tunnels, skyscrapers, dams, and domes. After the series was done filming Macaulay returned home followed up the series with his book Building Big.
Bibliography
"David (Alexander) Macaulay (1946-)." Something About the Author. Ed. Alan Hedblad. Vol. 137. Detroit: Gale, 2003. 128-135. Something About The Author Online. Web. 7 Feb. 2015.
"David Macaulay." , Bestselling Author and Illustrator of The Way We Work and The New Way Things Work. ABMarketWorks LLC, 2008. Web. 07 Feb. 2015. <http://hmhbooks.com/davidmacaulay/index.html>.
"David (Alexander) Macaulay (1946-)." Something About the Author. Ed. Alan Hedblad. Vol. 137. Detroit: Gale, 2003. 128-135. Something About The Author Online. Web. 7 Feb. 2015.
"David Macaulay." , Bestselling Author and Illustrator of The Way We Work and The New Way Things Work. ABMarketWorks LLC, 2008. Web. 07 Feb. 2015. <http://hmhbooks.com/davidmacaulay/index.html>.