Greene & Greene for Kids [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Kathleen Thorne-Thomsen (Author)

Book Description

Greene & Greene for Kids: Art, Architecture, and Activities is a unique children's book that explores a fascinating period in American history. Children learn what it was like to live in turn-of-the-century America. They learn things like what they read, what games they played, even what their homes and schools looked like.
This book also tells the story of the brothers Greene, including how they got their starts in architecture, how their lives and careers were changed as they traveled across the country, and the people they met along the way.
With an entertaining variety of activities, questions, photographs, and vignettes for children to ponder, this book is a fascinating look into the lives of Charles and Henry Green, and also a close-up look the Industrial Revolution and the birth of the Arts & Crafts movement.
Arts & Crafts enthusiasts will love this book, as will lovers of architecture, bungalow owners, and anyone who wants to learn more about this period in American history. It's a book the whole family will enjoy!
Kathleen Thorne-Thomsen received a degree in visual design and photography at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. She is the author of several books for children. Kathleen lives in a Greene and Greene house in Pasadena, California.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8–Thorne-Thomsen has created an interactive experience that brings the world of art and design to life, literarily and visually. Charlie and Henry Greene were born in Cincinnati, OH, during the late 19th century, a time period the author elucidates through full-color photographs and illustrations to make it more accessible to her audience. Activities, from crafts and experiments to writing exercises, appear throughout. The book brings vibrancy to the lives of the Greene brothers, introducing readers to their architecture after detailing a history of their ideas, concepts, and life experiences. From the Beaux-Arts style they saw at the World's Fair and reproduced, to the modern Arts & Crafts bungalows, each home had a unique style influenced by Japanese design, French design, the environment, and the home's other surroundings. Thorne-Thomsen presents the history, culture, and art of Greene and Greene through clear descriptions, fun activities, and lots of pictures. She has brought the Arts & Crafts movement to life. A visual masterpiece.–Delia Fritz, Mercersburg Academy, PA
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About the Author

Kathleen Thorne-Thomsen received a degree in visual design and photography at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. She is the author of many books for children. Kathleen lives in a Greene and Greene house in Pasadena, California.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 187 pages
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith (October 29, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1586854402
• ISBN-13: 978-1586854409
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 9.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #493,267 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #88 in Books > Children's Books > Arts, Crafts & Music > Architecture

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Art, Architecture and Activities Add up to A+, August 1, 2009

By 

Books and Bugs - See all my reviews

This review is from: Greene & Greene for Kids (Hardcover)

Greene & Greene for Kids by Kathleen Thorne-Thomsen is loaded with history, gorgeous illustrations, information about turn-of-the-century architecture, and inspired hands-on activities. After writing a very popular book about Frank Lloyd Wright, Kathleen Thorne-Thomson has chosen to use a similar format to honor two architects with less name recognition, Charles and Henry Greene.

The Greene brothers designed houses in California, particularly in the area around Pasadena. They were big in the Arts and Crafts movement, and designed charming craftsman bungalows. The author obviously is passionate about the Greene brothers' work and does a wonderful job of finding the details that children would be interested in reading. She also gives a feeling of what America was like when the brothers were growing up and how their designs are influenced by their time and environment. For example, she explains how at the turn of the century people started having the money and the desire to have creative and interesting homes.

The 19 activities are creative, too. They range from art projects, such as carving an Ivory soap sculpture, through making a root beer float (complete with history of the ingredients), to creating a small water garden. With this variety, a child can easily find something to spark his or her interest.

On the cover this book says, "art, architecture, activities." I'd say that adds up to A+.