How a House Is Built [Paperback]

Gail Gibbons (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Describes how the surveyor, heavy machinery operators, carpenter crew, plumbers, and other workers build a house.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

As readers quickly comprehend, building a house is a complex project requiring the cooperative efforts of many people. With her usual skill, Gibbons makes the process easy to understand. Beginning with the architect who draws the plans, readers meet the surveyors, equipment operators, carpenters, plumbers, and other people who produce a building. The book concludes with a family moving in, ready to make the house a home. Although children in some parts of the country will not relate specifically to houses with basements or septic systems, How a House Is Built provides basic, general information without oversimplifying. The illustrations are typical of Gibbons' style: bright colors, clean lines, and captions where necessary to define unfamiliar terms. Women are well represented in many non-traditional roles but not much racial diversity is shown. An appended page encourages comparison of modern frame houses to simple houses of the past. Building a House (Greenwillow, 1981) by Byron Barton offers less detailed information for younger children. --Jeanette Larson, Mesquite Pub . Lib . , TX
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Gail Gibbons has published close to fifty distinguished nonfiction titles with Holiday House. According to "The Washington Post", "Gail Gibbons has taught more preschoolers and early readers about the world than any other children's writer-illustrator." She lives in Vermont. Her website is www.gailgibbons.com

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 30 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House (P) (March 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823412326
• ISBN-13: 978-0823412327
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 9.8 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,820 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Engineering
  • #1 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Engineering
  • #4 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Arts & Music > Architecture

More About the Author

Gail Gibbons has published close to fifty distinguished nonfiction titles with Holiday House. According to "The Washington Post," "Gail Gibbons has taught more preschoolers and early readers about the world than any other children's writer-illustrator." She lives in Vermont. Her website is www.gailgibbons.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book for a family building a house!, June 28, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Cincinnati, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How a House Is Built (Paperback)

We bought this book because we wanted our children to know what to expect while we were building our first home. It was a great step by step guide of the building process with very colorful pictures. I would highly recommend it if you have young children!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple yet effective, April 30, 2003

By 

Browyn Brough "excitedteacher" (vegas area, rural) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How a House Is Built (Paperback)

This is a simple book, perhaps to simple for my 11 and 13 year old. However it's also a one of a kind. We are building a house this year, our first and the boys really wanted to know what was going on without me turning it into another school lesson. This book does just that each frame (simular to comic book style but larger) is one process of the home as is goes up. It is to the point and doesn't waste paper getting through the steps. Simple but effective. Any child wanting to understand "what's next" but not wanting an engineering lesson would appreciate this book. I do think even a 4 year old, that has it read to them could understand it.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What happens next on our house, Dad?, January 7, 2001

By 

James S. Kinkead (Furlong, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How a House Is Built (Hardcover)

Our family refered to this book constantly as our own house was built. The book is filled with information for children. Plus, I admit it, there are some construction terms that I learned myself. This is a typical Gail Gibbons non-fiction, filled with relevant information combined with clear, easy-to-understand pictures.