What is the most famous art museum in the world? I would say it is the Louvre. I know I would love to go there and see the Mona Lisa in person. How about you? Today I get to share with you a book that tells the story of how I.M. Pei designed and built the glass pyramid entrance to the Louvre. The book is The Glass Pyramid: A Story of the Louvre Museum and Architect I.M. Pei by Jeanne Walker Harvey and illustrated by Khoa Le. To go with this book, I am sharing a roundup of pyramid crafts and activities and there is a giveaway at the end!
About the Book:
The Glass Pyramid: A Story of the Louvre Museum and Architect I.M. PeiWritten by Jeanne Walker Harvey and Illustrated by Khoa Le
Ages: 4+ | 40 Pages
Publisher: Atheneum / Simon & Schuster (2025) | ISBN: 978-1665953337
Publisher’s Book Summary: In 1981, I. M. Pei was on a mission. A successful architect known for his modern designs, Pei was asked by the French president to redesign the Louvre Museum in Paris, home to the Mona Lisa and now famous for the glass pyramid at its center. At the time, the Louvre had many problems and no pyramid.
Pei faced many obstacles, including discrimination because he was Chinese American. Determined to succeed and make the Louvre a welcome place for all, Pei worked hard—and sometimes in secret. This is the story of a visionary who worked patiently and persistently to solve problems and achieve his goals: to plant and grow a glass pyramid.
Purchase Links:
About the Author:
Jeanne Walker Harvey studied literature and psychology at Stanford University and has worn many job hats, ranging from being a roller coaster ride operator to an attorney, a middle school language arts teacher, and a long-time docent for school groups at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. She is the award-winning author of several books for young readers, including the picture book biographies Else B. in the Sea: The Woman Who Painted the Wonders of the Sea, Dressing up the Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head, Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas, Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines, and The Glass Pyramid: A Story of the Louvre Museum and Architect I. M. Pei. Jeanne lives in Northern California.
Visit her online at
- jeanneharvey.com
- https://www.instagram.com/jeannewharvey/
- https://x.com/jeannewharvey?lang=en
- https://www.pinterest.com/jeannewalkerharvey/
- https://bsky.app/profile/jeannewharvey.bsky.social
About the Illustrator
Khoa Le lives in Vietnam and graduated from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts. She has dedicated most of her professional life to working in publishing, illustrating numerous books that have been published in Europe, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. Currently, she works and lives with her cats.
Visit her online at
From Me:
This book shares a bit of the history of the Louvre as well as why it needed a new entrance and renovations. It also shares about I.M. Pei--his life and work. It explains why his work was originally a secret and how some doubted his idea. The book is well written and shares so many different aspects of the glass pyramid entrance. It is a fun read filled with information that can go in so many different directions. There is the career aspect of an architect and there is information about the career at the end of the book. There is also more information about I.M. Pei's life back there. There is the fact that the Louvre is an art museum so there is the art tie in. The Mona Lisa is also mentioned in the story. Plus, there is the geometry/math aspect of a pyramid. And the back of the book gives various STEM extensions including the construction problems, making the glass and more.
The book is recommended for ages 4+, but I would say it is better for older kids more like 6 or 7+. The book is packed with information and history that I think a younger child might struggle to understand completely. I love how the book goes into the story of I.M. coming up with the idea. It was not an instant idea but one he thought about and did some research to get the right feel. I love how the book shares the troubles he ran into and the criticism he got for his idea. I also love how it shares the people clapping for him when it first opened and they saw him. It shares so many aspects of the story in a way that kids will enjoy and learn some history.
This book is perfect for a class who is studying art and/or museums, architecture, history, as well as mathematical three-dimensional shapes. The pyramid entrance at the Louvre adds another diverse pyramid to learn about. There is so many ways this book can be used in lessons as well as research.
Pyramid Craft Roundup
To go with this book, I thought it would be fun to do a pyramid craft roundup. It could be the geometry teacher in me, but I get excited for these pyramids! Apparently not very many of my fellow bloggers have pyramid posts, but I found a few to share as well as other ones online (but not pictured).
4) Paper Pyramids from printable nets along with books on Egyptian pyramids and more
5) Origami Sierpinski Gasket Pyramid (it hangs in my classroom)
6) A Sierpinski Triangle Pyramid I helped make in a fractal class at Yale
7) Tina's Dynamic Homeschool+ shares a Mayan pyramid craft to go with a book
8) LEGO pyramid
9) Euler's Formula Math Activity includes pyramids
10) Nontoy Gifts shares a wonderful stick pyramid craft
11) Artsy Craftsy Mom shares a roundup of Egyptian crafts including a pyramid craft
12) Crayola has some fun Egyptian clay crafts including a pyramid
13) Green Kid Crafts shares some skewer structures including some pyramids
14) Teaching Expertise shares 23 pyramid-inspired activities perfect for a classroom or homeschool
15) Smart Learning Tools shares a video on YouTube of making a paper square pyramid with your geometric tools (ruler and compass)
16) I also reviewed a book on the Egyptian pyramids and who built them as well as a book on the Louvre
Giveaway:
Enter for a chance to win: Three winners will receive signed copies of The Glass Pyramid: A Story of the Louvre Museum and Architect I. M. Pei, plus a Louvre tote bag. One grand prize winner will receive a tote bag and a class set of 30 books. Enter below! Good luck!!
