The life of Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926) was full of complexity and contradictions. As a young man he joined the Catalonian nationalist movement and was critical of the church; toward the end of his life he devoted himself completely to the construction of one single spectacular church, La Sagrada Familia. In his youth, he courted a glamorous social life and the demeanor of a dandy. By the time of his death in a tram accident on the streets of Barcelona...

"With her nanny snoozing, Paloma hurries to the window and pushes her nose up against the glass. There's a storm blowing outside--it's a terrifying monster that gobbles everything up! And as the beast approaches, the walls begin to shake and a huge tail slides down the stairs. That is when Paloma gives chase. Follow Paloma on an exciting adventure inspired by Gaudi's Casa Batlló."-- Back cover.

As noted Barcelona architect Antoni Gaudí hides an extraordinary relic in his complex masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia church, he is pursued by the leader of a malevolent secret society that remains a threat a century later.

Its scaffolding-cloaked spires reach up to the heavens, dominating the Barcelona skyline and drawing in millions of visitors every year. What seduces our attention is perhaps a combination: not only its almost megalomaniac ambition and architectural extravagance but the sheer longevity of its construction. Its creator, Antoni Gaudi, 'God's Architect', saw the first stone laid on 19 March 1882 and yet it is unlikely to be completed until 2026 at the...