Status
Available
Collection
Publication
HMH Books for Young Readers (1997), 80 pages
Description
A pigeon carrying an important message takes the reader on a unique tour which includes both ancient and modern parts of the city of Rome.
Local notes
Kirkus Review, 08/31/1997
In another of his explorations of the traversal between A and B, Macaulay takes the scenic route and concludes, perhaps, that all roads really do lead to Rome. This bird's-eye view of a grand city's architecture begins when a maiden ties a message onto the leg of a homing pigeon. Before readers can say S.P.Q.R., the pigeon has made the unusual decision of abstaining from the shortest path between two points in favor of a whirling flight through Rome. Macaulay has created a pen-and-ink sketchbook of ancient buildings in the modern city, stringing together black-and-white drawings of landmarks with the thinnest of red lines (to indicate the pigeon's flight). Along with labeled monuments are more mundane sightings: On the street, a dog drinks from a fire hydrant while conversations take place in cafes and on cell phones. The views of Rome are so encompassing that by the time the pigeon delivers its message to a draughtsman hunched over a drawing, readers have almost forgotten the bird's errand. ``Yes'' is the answer to an unstated question that hangs, tantalizingly, in the air. An aerial map of Rome (``not to scale'') and brief, conversational descriptions recap the highlights of the pigeon's trip. In it, Macaulay confirms that his is not a profession, nor an obsession, but a love affair of sketching and architecture. (Picture book. 7-11)
In another of his explorations of the traversal between A and B, Macaulay takes the scenic route and concludes, perhaps, that all roads really do lead to Rome. This bird's-eye view of a grand city's architecture begins when a maiden ties a message onto the leg of a homing pigeon. Before readers can say S.P.Q.R., the pigeon has made the unusual decision of abstaining from the shortest path between two points in favor of a whirling flight through Rome. Macaulay has created a pen-and-ink sketchbook of ancient buildings in the modern city, stringing together black-and-white drawings of landmarks with the thinnest of red lines (to indicate the pigeon's flight). Along with labeled monuments are more mundane sightings: On the street, a dog drinks from a fire hydrant while conversations take place in cafes and on cell phones. The views of Rome are so encompassing that by the time the pigeon delivers its message to a draughtsman hunched over a drawing, readers have almost forgotten the bird's errand. ``Yes'' is the answer to an unstated question that hangs, tantalizingly, in the air. An aerial map of Rome (``not to scale'') and brief, conversational descriptions recap the highlights of the pigeon's trip. In it, Macaulay confirms that his is not a profession, nor an obsession, but a love affair of sketching and architecture. (Picture book. 7-11)
Subjects
Awards
CCBC Choices (1997)