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Builders and Storytellers

Dream it, build it and tell a story

By Tony Edmundson

Before I ever began to write I was telling stories using Lego bricks. Love and hope, revenge and sacrifice played out on my bedroom floor.

Legos have come a long way since, but the basic concept remains: Dream it, build it and tell a story. If you want to rebuild the past, dig out those bricks from your closets and basements. If you want to start with something entirely new, take a look at these outstanding creations.

“Beautiful Lego” by Mike Doyle asks if Lego can be art. The artists reply with original constructs of outrageous monsters, spaceships and heavenly temples. But we also see the familiar in unexpected ways, such as Monty Python skits, Bilbo Baggins and realistic birds.

Brendan Powell Smith’s “Brick Bibles,” spins on the Old and New Testaments, are a marvel of interpretation and ingenuity. The stories of Noah’s Ark, the building of the Temple and Jesus of Nazareth are all depicted with the most exquisite detail. You may never look at the Bible, or Lego, the same way again.

“The Lego Movie” is a feat of modern animation and quirky nostalgia. It’s a story about Emmett, a very ordinary “minifig” who must do extraordinary things to save his world. There’s plenty of humor here to keep kids and adults laughing all the way to the touching conclusion.

Don’t have any bricks? No problem. Check out the Lego Digital Designer, a free program from Lego that lets you build elaborate creations right on your computer.

ImagineIF Libraries encourage exploration, fresh ideas and self-discovery. Learn more at www.imagineiflibraries.org.