Customer Reviews

Building Big Boxed Set [VHS]

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If you missed it on PBS, you should buy the video. These are great videos for Adults and Children.

Just wish they had DVD!!

David Macaulay, who is often referred to as a "children's book illustrator", narrates a PBS tour through some of the world's most awesome and interesting feats of engineering. My three sons - ages 6, 10, and 11- and I made watching it a special family event over several evenings, and they've requested it a lot since the first viewing, too. I can't wait to get the book that goes with the series! Can't-miss entertainment with can't-miss public television quality content. Don't miss it!

These videos are fantistic viewing! Have you ever wondered how they build bridges and tunnels under water? It was always a mystery to me. Now I know. The five videos include building bridges, domes, skyscrapers, dams, and tunnels. Definitely worth the money! for this education.

When my son got old enough to start watching videos, we found that we didn't have many videos around that were suitable for children and we had trouble quickly locating good ones.

He was interested in trains and train bridges (at age 2.5), so one night we all sat down on the couch and watched Bridges, one of the videos in the set, even though we thought it was for older children (it is, really, for older children or even grown ups). He loved it! He was entranced!

Most of these videos have some disturbing sections with disasters or deaths, and he found a few of them unwatchable until he got older because of those sections, or he wanted an adult to watch with him or fast forward past them.

Now that he is 5, he has watched each video at least 10 times and his favorites - Bridges and Skyscrapers - easily 30 times each. They have had a positive effect on his development. (Some kids watch Disney... mine watches David McCauley.) Typically, after he finishes watching, he is extremely inspired and rushes off to either build things with blocks/legos or draw pictures with crayons/markers. The videos have been a jumping off point for trips to the library to get more information and a starting point for learning history of all sorts.

The other plus about these videos is that they are interesting, engaging, and informative to adults and our entire family has enjoyed them, plus learned a lot about engineering and history!

If you have the sort of young child who loves transportation (planes, trains, ships) and is interested in blocks and drawing things (there is a distinct sub-personality of child who is like this), then I recommend these videos highly, especially if you are okay with a small amount of disaster and death.

Building Big is from the producers of NOVA, so you know it stays focused on the science. If you like science, your love this.