{"id":17895,"date":"2013-02-13T21:07:25","date_gmt":"2013-02-14T01:07:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=17895"},"modified":"2013-02-13T21:24:46","modified_gmt":"2013-02-14T01:24:46","slug":"review-of-building-our-house-by-jonathan-bean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=17895","title":{"rendered":"Review of Building Our House, by Jonathan Bean"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Building Our House<\/em><\/p>\n

by Jonathan Bean<\/p>\n

Farrar Straus Giroux, New York, 2013. 44 pages.<\/p>\n

This book isn\u2019t funny. It doesn\u2019t reach out and punch you with its brilliance. It\u2019s on the long side for preschool storytime. But it quietly won me over. I found myself reading it more than once, poring over the detailed illustrations, enjoying the oversize format and the story \u2013 the whole process of building a house.<\/p>\n

The author based the book on what his parents actually did. They bought a farmer\u2019s field, moved into a trailer on the property, and then built their own house. This book shows that process, starting with tools and a plan, then purchasing the materials, and setting the corners by the north star.<\/p>\n

The format works well. It\u2019s a larger picture book than usual. Most spreads have four pictures, two on each page, showing the day-to-day process. Special moments, like the frame-raising party and the moving-in party, get a whole double-page spread to themselves.<\/p>\n

The pictures have lots of detail, and you can look at them over and over and still find new things. This would be a great choice for kids interested in construction machines, but also children interested in a family story, or even children who simply like to find details in complex pictures.<\/p>\n

This is probably on the long side for preschool storytime, but it would be a lovely book for sharing individually with a child.<\/p>\n

Mackids.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Picture_Books\/building_our_house.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Source: This review is based on a library book from the Fairfax County Public Library.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I write the posts for my website and blogs entirely on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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