Picks and Pans Review: The Wonderful Towers of Watts

UPDATED 11/28/1994 at 01:00 AM EST • Originally published 11/28/1994 at 01:00 AM EST

by Patricia Zelver, illus. by Frane Lessac

Italian immigrant Simon Rodia builds three fanciful spires in a poor Los Angeles area. Lessac's vivid gouaches highlight the colorful tiles, pottery shards and bottle bits embedded in the columns of steel and concrete. Like the real Watts Towers, this true tale is a monument to crazy dreams and perseverance. (Tambourine, $15) Ages 5 and up