The Man Who Made Parks
The Story of Parkbuilder Frederick Law Olmsted
by Frieda Wishinsky
illustrated by Song Nan Zhang
- Age:
- 5 to 9
- Grade:
- k to 4
When the great cities of North America were being developed, there was little thought to creating “green spaces.” Frederick Law Olmsted combined his childhood love for nature with the structured beauty of the great parks of London and Paris to turn a neglected, swampy area into one of the most acclaimed parks in North America: Central Park in New York City.
close this panelFrieda Wishinsky is the author of many acclaimed books for children, including Oonga Boonga and Each One Special. She grew up in New York City, where, as a child, she played in Central Park. The memory of those happy times inspired this book. Frieda Wishinsky now lives in Toronto with her family and continues to enjoy city parks.
Song Nan Zhang was born in Shanghai. He received a master’s degree from the Beijing Central Institute of Fine Arts, and his paintings have been exhibited in galleries around the world. After teaching at the Central Institute for several years, he visited Montreal, Canada, and decided to settle there with his wife and two sons to pursue his painting full time. His works on canvas have been regularly exhibited in eastern Canada, notably at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
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“It’s a rich tale of a man finding his true calling and a nation finding a visionary…”
–San Francisco Chronicle
