Customer Reviews

Building a House

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Byron Barton gets another A+ in my book for clear, simple pictures and text. This book is geared for the toddler/preschooler crowd with its primary colors and constuction basics. It would be a great book for anyone in the process of building a house or watching houses being built in their neighborhood.

My 2 year old sons are really starting to associate the similarities between this book and some of the construction sites we visit. While Barton's pictures are simple, there is enough detail to expand beyond the written text. For example, on the page with words "They put up walls.", we are able to find the windows, the floor and foundation. On the page with the plumber, they like to point out the future shower, toilet, and sink. (And of course, being 2, they like to expand on the functions of the staples of every bathroom!)

Our only complaint is that the finished house needs a little decorator's touch. After all, it is totally green and red with no landscaping whatsoever! Even my guys noticed there are no trees. But overall a great book for all our future builders.

Simple factual text and brightly colored pictures in clear black outlines all combine to make this a book that should be fascinating to toddlers.

We are currently building a house so this book has been the perfect companion to this process. My little boy (two and a half) is able to make connections to the pictures in the book to what is going on in 'real life' with his house. If you are building a house and have a small child, I highly recommend this book.

A very nice book for toddlers to see how houses are made. Our grandson loves machinery and how things are made. Nice art work.

When I saw this book only had an average of 3.5 stars, I had to write my own review. My two boys LOVE this book. One is 5 years old, with mild autism, and the other is a highly gifted [...]. The text IS simple, and short, but the pictures allow for plenty of exploration and explanation. We talked about all the different people involved in building a house, the family moving in when it was complete, etc.... In my mind, this is an excellent book for sharing. Parents can expand on the simple text as they see appropriate.

I have no complaints about the book itself. The colors are vibrant and it is fun. However, there isn't enough text. When I bought this I at least exspected a paragraph every page or so. This is a picture book with a few words. I would not have purchased it for my children (Middle Elementary age) had I know that one fact. Great for preschool aged children. Stacey

Has the wonderful colors and clean lines we expect from Byron Barton. We found the text great for our nearly 4-year-old. Very satisfied with details like putting in the pipes and pouring cement into a frame. Opens the door to further discussion. Our son started adding some of the features to the buildings he makes with his blocks.

Byron Barton's deceptively simple cartoon-like drawings and streamlined text may seem unimpressive at first glance. But this author has a distinctive gift for distilling essential components of any event or theme into a page-turningly smooth story that the youngest child can follow. In this volume, he describes and illustrates the step-by-step construction of a family home, beginning with "a green hill" with land surveyors pictured, and ending with a family moving into the home. It's an excellent early lesson in architecture for any child, but particularly those young children who show an interest in how objects in their environment work.

My kids love this book. They ask for it (and other Barton books) to be read over and over. The pictures are simple and appealing. Byron Barton is definitely on to something. Get this with My Car -- both are especially appealing to infants and toddlers.

This book had some great pictures and gave good information about what happens when you build a house.

I must say that I was disappointed in the incredibly short sentences. I should have known it would be like that considering the author, but I guess I thought the subject was a little more advanced so maybe the language would be too. Nope.