A man with an obsession for straight lines and sharp angles is converted by a sudden encounter with nature and learns to live a happier, more relaxed life as a result in Thibaut Rassat’s quirky, thought-provoking book. Architect Eugene likes order and tries his hardest to impose it in his own home and on the buildings he designs where everything has to be straight, square and in line. The builders have fun teasing him by leaving bathtubs on the balconies, but they’re caught out themselves when Eugene suddenly changes his view of the world. What provokes it? When a tree falls into his latest building, Eugene is struck by its beauty and the beauty of its curves and proportions. From then on, straight lines are out and nature and making things nicer for wildlife well and truly in. It’s a book to give children real insight into what an architect does, and how, but it will also open their eyes to the beauty and unexpected order of the natural world.
Eugene the architect designs buildings that are incredibly straight and orderly. He is very proud of his latest work-an enormous house with perfectly perpendicular walls and windows.
One day he is surprised to find a tree growing in what will be the house's living room. Instead of cutting it down, Eugene studies the tree, marveling at the way its branches, roots, leaves, and trunk grow in elegant proportions. Suddenly, Eugene sees nature in an entirely new way-not as the opposite of precise order, but as something with its own type of perfection.
Thibaut Rassat's playful illustrations introduce young readers to basic architectural and geometric principles while amusing them with Eugene's prickly personality and joyful discovery. They will come away with a new appreciation for architecture and for the unexpected twists and turns that make the natural world-and our life in it-so fascinating.
