Engines of Ingenuity

Rating:
Summary: Not a puzzle, but thought provoking
Review: While Kit gained fame as the author and illustrator of two treasure-hunt books, he has always been a mixed-media artist at his core. This book--his first in over 15 years--centers around one utterly gorgeous handmade chariot, but offers paintings, photographs, and woodworking as well. The slight narrative offers suggestions on how inventors find their ideas--or, as the case may be, vice versa. It's cleverly written but brief. His ultra-detailed painting style and elaborate woodworking techniques are clearly evidenced here; there's a lot to see in these few pages.

Fans of Kit's puzzle books may interpret some of the Engine's more cryptic elements as clues, but to do that would be to sell the book short. Kit's a brilliant artist who deserves to be taken on the terms of his current work, not just the work he completed decades ago. However, this book is thought-provoking either way--and what more can an artist ask?