Kenney, Sean. Building Amazing Creations.

Kenney, Sean. Building Amazing Creations. Macmillan/Henry Holt  2017  382p.  $24.99          ISBN 978-1-62779-018-5          all ages               Nonfiction  E-BN  

This is a coffee-table book that is crammed with over 800 illustrations of Sean Kenney’s LEGO creations. Kenney is known for creating miniature and large-scale LEGO animals, towns, buildings, flowers and portraits.  Kenney’s artistic efforts are on display around the world in corporate offices, public gardens, museums and art galleries. School librarians who are involved in Maker Spaces will undoubtedly know his “Cool” book series that shows how to create LEGO projects. In the short text accompanying each illustration, readers learn about his background of earning a college degree in computer science and how he became restive and pursued his passion for art by founding his own company to create LEGO sculptures. The text under illustrations encourages readers to look carefully at individual LEGO pieces that are used in creative ways, such as a helmet for the feet of robots, and how to get a mirrored effect. His step-by-step details from concept to finished creation, which include the methods by which projects are sketched, created, and shipped or installed, provide insider knowledge that can kickstart readers into creating their own unique LEGO projects. This is a great book for any fan of LEGOs, for art students, and for any person who appreciates intricacy of design. WOW, this book cannot be categorized, as everyone who opens it, regardless of age, will be captivated by something.                            

Summary: For any lover of LEGOs, Sean Kenney has chronicled his most amazing projects. This book is part biography, part an “I Spy” look at how LEGO pieces are repurposed in a creation, and an imagination kickstarter for Maker Spaces in schools. For all ages.          

Legos                                                                         --Lois McNicol