Beautiful LEGO: Wild! (Book) Review

Beautiful LEGO: Wild! is an entirely different kind of art book. Instead of paints and brushes, the artists use plastic building blocks to bring nature to life.

Whether you’re already a LEGO superfan, or just someone interested in unique art, you’ll find a lot to like in this colorful coffee table book. It’s a really interesting concept. The book highlights various LEGO artists and their fantastical creations. Who would have thought that such beauty could be created from a handful of plastic bricks? Though there are some pages dedicated to a few of the artists where they explain their motivations for the featured artwork, how they got started with LEGOS, and various other interesting tidbits, for the most part the book stays dedicated to highlighting the artistic creations. This means there is very little text to be seen, as the artwork is allowed to speak for itself.

There is just something about LEGOS – everyone loves them, young and old. There are so many possibilities in each pile of bricks, but many of us have never really considered doing more than than the creations highlighted in the set, or the odd house or car here and there. For those who have discovered how very much can be done with the colorful plastic bricks, there is a thriving online community where tips, tricks, and creations can be shared. The creations in the book come from many of these talented artists. Because this is a book highlighting the natural world, it is filled with birds, bugs, plants, and animals – and even a few mystical creatures here and there.

Each page features one of two LEGO creations, shown in full color photographs that practically leap off the page. Each creation is made entirely of bricks. and all are labelled with the name of the original artist. The book is separated into categories, beginning with plants of all shapes and sizes. This organization serves well to highlight the versatility of the bricks, as flowers or birds by different artists are shown side by side, leaving readers with many different interpretations to enjoy. I was surrounded by children as soon as I cracked open the book (the lure of LEGO is strong), and though they were initially disappointed that no instructions were given for the models, they quickly found the book to be a source of inspiration, and soon were chatting about which types of creatures they would try to create first. And that’s the beauty of it – you can enjoy the fantastical creations in the book, and then go right of to create your own.