Immigrant Architect

March 1, 2020

K-Gr 4-Told in first-person narration, the authors chronicle the professional lives of Spanish architects Rafael Guastavino and his son, Rafael Guastavino Exp�sito Jr. Beginning with the elder Guastavino's birth in 1842, readers follow the father and son across the Atlantic, grow up with the younger Guastavino, and experience both the struggles and successes of being an immigrant in America in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Lorente's gorgeous illustrations include frequent time lines, informative diagrams, and emotive scenes. While highly stylized with a tight color palette, the illustrations are true to both the creations of father and son (the younger carries on the elder's legacy after his death) and will inspire further research. de Miguel and Diebolt skillfully use the narrative of the Guastavinos' work to highlight the United States' historical legacy of depending on and benefiting from immigrant knowledge, talent, and labor. A note about our current president having descended from "poor European immigrants" will not go unnoticed by adult readers. Read this as a picture book, to spark discussion, or use it to expand options for biography assignments in elementary schools. There's great potential in this story. VERDICT Beautiful, informative, and fascinating, this is a great addition to school and public library biography collections. Recommended.-Taylor Worley, Springfield Public Library, OR

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2020
If you build it, they will marvel. In 1881, architect Rafael Guastavino Moreno emigrated from Spain to New York City with his 8-year-old son, Rafael Guastavino Exp�sito. In time Guastavino Moreno patented an innovative construction system he had also brought with him: Vaulted and domed roofs and ceilings built with tiles were strong and fireproof. Eventually, illustration work led to the father's first major project: designing the ceilings for the Boston Public Library. More tiled vaulted ceilings followed, including in NYC's first subway station. When the elder Guastavino died in 1908, his son succeeded him, designing famed NYC spaces including the Bronx Zoo's domed elephant house, the main hall at Ellis Island, and many others. This charming homage is a resounding tribute to immigrants' contributions. The text is narrated by the younger Rafael in a proud, awestruck voice that makes both characters and their work come alive. A pictorial guide to the important architectural terms readers will encounter prefaces the book. Many of the lively, colorful, appealing illustrations prominently display tiled arches and depict father and son with tan skin; other persons are shown with diverse skin tones. Most verso pages feature a timeline; a map with NYC routes along which one can still see "Guastavino tiles" is included. Brief biographies of the duo are appended. A firm foundation for building interest in architecture and a solid STEM resource. (Informational picture book/biography. 7-10)

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Starred review from April 15, 2020
Grades 3-6 *Starred Review* Although Rafael Guastavino and his father, Rafael Guastavino Sr., were nearly lost to history, their pioneering architecture still spans the United States. Here, a young Rafael Jr. narrates his own picture-book biography about their collaborative path. Their story starts in Spain, where the elder Guastavino designed homes and buildings. In 1881, he set sail with big dreams and young Rafael, then eight, for New York City. As the narrator describes Guastavino Sr.'s early business attempts, he frames them through the hardships of the immigrant experience. America had another problem during this time too: buildings, mainly constructed of wood or iron, were prone to disaster during fires. In lengthy yet engaging text, Rafael emphasizes how architecture connects engineering and art as he relates his father's solution: the sturdy, beautiful, and fireproof Guastavino tile-vaulting system. He suggests thinking of an eggshell, light but strong thanks to its overall shape. The remainder of the picture book tells of the creation of the father-son Guastavino Fireproof Construction Company and provides numerous examples that employ their intricately patterned tiles, from the Boston Public Library to Grand Central Terminal to, fittingly, the main hall of Ellis Island. Retro-style illustrations in primary colors and geometric shapes convey the splendor of these structures. Added secrets about some of the constructions lend more interest. An exceptional STEAM title.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

March 16, 2020
An esoteric architectural detail—the Guastavino vault—anchors this chatty, information-dense biography. In first-person narration, the authors share the story of Rafael Guastavino Moreno through his son, Rafael Guastavino Expósito. After the pair emigrated to the U.S. from Spain in 1881, the elder Guastavino “patented tiled vaults and domes as a fireproof construction system” (at the time, “fires were common in America’s growing cities”). Engaging the same concepts used in pizza and bread ovens, the Guastavino vault proved enormously successful, and “the Guastavino Fireproof Construction Company... built curved ceilings in more than one thousand buildings.” (Though many were demolished, vaults survive in Grand Central Terminal and the main hall at Ellis Island, among other locations.) Through a fluke of fate, an architecture professor rescued the company’s drawings from a dumpster, thereby ensuring the Guastavino legacy. Lorente’s retro-mod illustrations, washed in teal, yellow, and rust, portray undulating tiled vaults, grand spaces, and dapper architects at work. Ages 8–up.