David Macaulay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Macaulay
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Macaulay in November 2012
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| Born | December 2, 1946 Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England |
| Occupation | Illustrator, writer |
| Education | Rhode Island School of Design (B.A.) |
| Genre | Picture books |
| Subject | Architecture, engineering, history |
| Notable works | |
| Notable awards |
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David Macaulay (born 2 December 1946) is a British-born American illustrator and writer. He is famous for his books that explain how things are built or how they work. Some of his well-known books include Cathedral (1973) and The Way Things Work (1988).
Macaulay's books often combine detailed drawings with text. They help readers understand architecture, design, and engineering. He has also written several fun fiction books for children. In 1991, he won the Caldecott Medal for his book Black and White. He also received a special award from the MacArthur Fellows Program in 2006.
Contents
About David Macaulay
Early Life and Education
David Macaulay was born in Burton upon Trent, England, and grew up in Lancashire. When he was eleven, his family moved to Bloomfield, New Jersey, USA. From a young age, he loved figuring out how machines worked. He even built models and drew pictures of them!
After finishing high school in Cumberland, Rhode Island, in 1964, he went to the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). There, he studied architecture. After graduating, he decided not to become an architect. He spent a year studying in Rome. Before he started making books, he worked as an interior designer and a teacher.
His Amazing Books
David Macaulay has written many books about buildings and how things are designed. His first book, Cathedral (1973), showed how a huge, imaginary Gothic cathedral was built. It was filled with amazing pen-and-ink drawings.
He then created a series of similar books:
- City (1974) explained how an ancient Roman city was built.
- Pyramid (1975) showed how the giant Egyptian pyramids were constructed.
- Castle (1977) explored the building of a medieval castle.
- Mill (1983) looked at how mills in New England developed.
- Mosque (2003) showed the design and building of an Ottoman-style mosque. Macaulay created Mosque to highlight how major religions share many traditions.
Other books in this series include:
- Underground (1976), which shows all the hidden pipes and structures beneath a city street.
- Unbuilding (1980), a fun story about what it would be like to take apart the Empire State Building!
How Things Work Series
Macaulay also wrote the very popular children's book, The Way Things Work (1988). This book explains how different machines and inventions work. It was so popular that he updated it as The New Way Things Work (1998) and The Way Things Work Now (2016). This series even became a short educational TV show!
His books often have a funny side. In The Way Things Work, he draws cave people and woolly mammoths using giant versions of the machines he explains. In Motel of the Mysteries (1979), future archaeologists find an old American motel. They hilariously try to figure out what everything was used for.
Macaulay believes it's important for people to understand how technology works. He wants to help fight the idea that technology is a "black box" where you don't know what's inside.
To create his book The Way We Work, which explains the human body, Macaulay spent years learning from doctors and researchers. He even watched medical procedures! He worked with experts to make sure his drawings and words were correct.
Other Creative Projects
David Macaulay also designed a large mural in Providence, Rhode Island. It showed statues of famous people from Rhode Island. The mural was on display from 2013 to 2017.
He has also worked with scientists at Harvard University and the Boston Museum of Science. He creates illustrations to help explain complex ideas about quantum materials to both scientists and the public.
Awards and Honors
David Macaulay has received many awards for his work, including:
- The MacArthur Fellows Program award (2006)
- The Caldecott Medal for Black and White
- The Boston Globe–Horn Book Award
- The Christopher Award
- An American Institute of Architects Medal
- The Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis (a German youth literature prize)
- The Bradford Washburn Award from the Museum of Science in Boston.
He was also nominated for the international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1984 and 2002. In 2008, he gave the important May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture for the American Library Association.
Personal Life
David Macaulay currently lives in Norwich, Vermont.
Artwork Exhibitions
- David Macaulay: The Art of Drawing Architecture. The National Building Museum. (June 2007 to May 2008)
- Building Books: The Art of David Macaulay. The Currier Museum of Art. (2009)
Television Shows
David Macaulay has hosted and narrated several TV shows based on his books:
- Castle (1983), PBS
- Cathedral (1986), PBS
- Pyramid (1988), PBS
- Roman City (1994), PBS
- Building Big (2000), PBS
- Mill Times (2001), PBS
He also had an animated TV series based on his book:
- The Way Things Work (2001–2002), BBC, 26 episodes
