Starred Review This is a handsome picture-book biography of pioneering Black architect Paul R. Williams. Orphaned at age four, Williams always knew he wanted to be an architect and dreamed that one day he would build a home for his new family. However, early-­twentieth-century Los Angeles was not ready for a Black architect. Williams was known for his distinctive "curve and flow" architectural style, and the powerful text tells how he also curved and flowed around hateful roadblocks: attending five different schools at the same time, learning to sketch upside down and backwards to bring clients' ideas to life right before their eyes, starting a bank to encourage African American homeownership. Besides designing mansions and landmark buildings, the "Architect to the Stars" fought unjust zoning laws and served on President Eisenhower's National Housing Commission. The amazing artwork is detailed and nuanced; back matter includes photos, an author's note, a list of selected resources, and a time line that includes Williams' many honors and accolades. This inspiring account has multiple applications and excels on multiple levels.

Paul R. Williams was born in Los Angeles in 1894; his parents died when he was five, and his brother was sent to a different foster home. Despite this early tragedy, Paul flourished creatively, demonstrating a talent for drawing that blossomed into a career as an architect. By 1921, facing discrimination and prejudice at every turn, he had become the first Black certified architect west of the Mississippi River. Southern California was becoming a cultural mecca, and Williams took advantage of that to put his iconic stamp on many prominent buildings. He didn't stop there, though. He also got into the banking industry to help African Americans overcome the predatory, discriminatory practice of redlining. In 1948, the Supreme Court struck down laws upholding restrictive housing covenants, and Paul was finally free to build his dream house in his desired neighborhood. If "curve and flow" represents elements of Williams's design style, the motto also signifies how he dealt with the obstacles and opportunities he faced in life. Alongside the generally optimistic text, the illustrations reinforce this theme of overcoming adversity. They convey grace, warmth, and dignity with a color palette dominated by purple, gold, blue, brown, and burgundy, and expressive figures who fairly shine and glow. An author's note, sources, photos, and a timeline are appended.

Loney emphasizes perseverance in this detailed account of Paul R. Williams’s (1894–1980) path to “Architect to the Stars.” Williams began drawing buildings as a child, but while he could “see his future as clearly as a blueprint,” others warned that finding success as a Black architect would be impossible. After crashing “right into the big stone wall of racism,” Williams finds ways to “curve and flow” around it, winning contests, opening his own firm, and starting a bank for the Black community. Using historical language, Loney lays bare the injustice and prejudice Williams encounters in designing structures he’s not allowed to enter as a patron, and erecting homes in neighborhoods he must leave before sundown. Mallett’s painterly digital renderings have a soft-edged Hollywood glow as they depict Williams working toward his dream; when the subject joins a top architectural firm, he appears among rubble (“Take that, stone wall!”). An author’s note, photos, sources, and timeline conclude. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)