Look at That Building!: A First Book of Structures

by Scot Ritchie, Scot Ritchie (Illustrator)

Overview

Learning about buildings and how they are constructed has never been so much fun. This gem of a book introduces young readers to basic construction concepts through the eyes of five friends keen on building a doghouse for their pet pooch, Max. To find out more about the task, Yulee, Martin, Nick, Sally and Pedro head to the library, where they learn about foundations, beams, frames and other building fundamentals. Fun facts, bright illustrations and comic-book-style discussions among the characters add to the mix. An activity at the end of the book invites readers to make their own mini doghouse out of marshmallows, paper, glue and craft sticks.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781554536962
Publisher:	Kids Can Press, Limited
Publication date:	09/01/2011
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	133,304
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD600L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Scot Ritchie is an award winning illustrator who lives in Vancouver British Columbia. He has illustrated over 40 children's books, (some of which he also wrote) including Let's Go! The Story of Getting from There to Here, Up, Up and Away and the Basics for Beginners series, Hockey, Baseball and Soccer.

Scot Ritchie is an award winning illustrator who lives in Vancouver British Columbia. He has illustrated over 40 children's books, (some of which he also wrote) including Let's Go! The Story of Getting from There to Here, Up, Up and Away and the Basics for Beginners series, Hockey, Baseball and Soccer.

Editorial Reviews

Buildings, for those of us that live in urban areas, are all around us. Even if one lives on a farm or ranch there are probably multiple buildings—house, barns, silos and sheds for tools and animals. Young readers are introduced to the concept of a building and learn that buildings can be built just about anywhere—on the water, land, cliffs, in trees and even underground. Where does a building start—in most cases with the foundation. Then there are floors and beams to hold up the roof and walls which reach from the floor to the ceiling in certain structures. The walls can divide a space into rooms and they can support the roof. Various shapes provide extra strength such as arches and triangles. After looking at man-made structures, the kids in the book take a look at some of the homes that animals build. Nests built by birds and wasps, lodges of sticks in the water built by busy beavers, underground dens where rabbits—among many animals—feel safe and at home. All these homes protect animals and people from the elements. The closing pages offer an activity to build a mini-doghouse and the final page contains an index. A very useful introduction to buildings and one that may spur readers on to read more about how skyscrapers, bridges, and other large structures are built and perhaps even to reading about some famous architects and building designers. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot