Today we are very excited to share an interview with author Jeanne Walker Harvey!
Read on to learn more about the author, the book, and a giveaway!
Meet the Author: Jeanne Walker Harvey
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 author of several books for young readers, including the picture book biographies 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.
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About the Book: The Glass Pyramid
In this “stunning” (Booklist, starred review) picture book, award-winning picture book biographer Jeanne Walker Harvey tells the story of the renowned architect I. M. Pei and his triumph in redesigning the Louvre through problem-solving and persistence.
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.
~Author Chat~
YABC: Which came first, the concept, landscape, characters, or something else?
In writing The Glass Pyramid, I would say it was the character, I.M. Pei, that came first, and then the concept of focusing on just the glass pyramid project and not all the buildings he designed. I was able to weave in his experience as a child growing up in China where he visited peaceful Buddhist retreats with his mother and played at his family’s retreat in Suzhou, China at the almost 700-year-old Lion Grove Garden. Pei believed the French, who valued history, would know that with his roots in China, he too would show respect for the Louvre. But it turned out to be an uphill battle in which Pei showed patience and perseverance, drawing upon the Confucian teachings his grandfather taught him.
YABC: What scene in The Glass Pyramid are you most proud of, and why?
I think I was most pleased when I hit upon the first scene of the book, in particular the first sentence: “IEOHHMING (“I. M.”) PEI is on a secret mission.” And from that premise, I could build the narrative around the challenges I. M. Pei faced in redesigning the entrance and flow of the Louvre. Although Pei had been chosen by President Mitterrand to work on the Louvre, Pei didn’t want to publicly accept the incredible opportunity until he was confident he had a design that would work. He knew that the French, who took great pride in the Louvre would not like an outsider touching the museum. He didn’t anticipate the fervor of the French objections to his design or the discrimination he faced as a Chinese American.
YABC: What research did you to do to write The Glass Pyramid?
Whenever I’m writing a picture book biography, I seek primary sources — the person’s letters, other writings, interviews etc. It was very fortunate with I.M Pei as the topic because he conducted many interviews, some of which are in books and some of which have been recorded. Getting to hear him talk about facing numerous challenges in designing and constructing the glass pyramid was very helpful. I also took notes from a huge stack of books about I.M. and the Grand Louvre, and read a myriad of newspaper, journal and magazine articles. I never know what I’ll end up using in a final manuscript, so I write down everything that interests me or requires more research.
YABC: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
Ever since I was in elementary school, I knew I wanted to be a writer. I would visit the library every week with my mom and return with a big stack of books. I would dream of my name being on the cover of a book someday. I even saved up my allowance and bought writing magazines to see if there were any contests I could enter. And I did enter one when I was in junior high and won. But I can’t remember the topic!
YABC: How do you keep your ‘voice’ true to the age category you are writing within?
That’s such a great question, and always a challenge for me. Because I write picture books that are meant to be read aloud, I do a lot of reading aloud (which I think worries my cat as she then comes and sits on my keyboard). What looks good on paper may not have the lyrical quality I’m looking for or may seem too wordy. And I’ve always over-researched a topic, and so the challenge is to keep the text tight, lyrical, and also hopefully engaging to a young reader. It takes many drafts and starts and stops for me to reach a polished manuscript.
YABC: What is the main message or lesson you would like your reader to remember from The Glass Pyramid?
I hope readers will not only be inspired by Pei’s creativity and ingenuity, but also his patience and persistence in achieving his goal of building the glass pyramid of the Louvre.
YABC: Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?
I’ve always been a big supporter of museums and libraries, and I’ve been a board member of several of them. But recently, I’ve become quite interested in Pets Lifeline, an animal shelter and adoption service in Sonoma, California. I’ve been invited to work with children and teens in their upcoming summer camp program, and one of the activities will be to read books aloud to dogs. It’s a new endeavor. But they’ve done a test run, and all the barking dogs consistently quieted down when stories were read to them. How sweet is that?
YABC: Is there anything that you would like to add?
I want to give an enormous shout out to all librarians who are such a vital part of every community. I’m indebted to them for encouraging my love of reading as a child. And I’m grateful for the research help they give me now as an author. While researching my book topics, I’ve reached out to the amazing librarians at the Library of Congress, and they have found obscure magazine articles and photographs for me. Librarians not only warmly foster literacy but provide essential resources and safe spaces for a community. They deserve to be treated with the utmost respect and admiration.
Title: The Glass Pyramid
Author: Jeanne Walker Harvey
ISBN-13: 9781665953337
ISBN-10: 1665953330
On-sale date: Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Imprint: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Ages: 4-8
Grades: P to 3
*Giveaway Details*
Three (3) winner will receive a copy of The Glass Pyramid (Jeanne Walker Harvey)! ~ US ONLY (No P.O. Boxes)!
