How a House Is Built [Paperback]

Gail Gibbons (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1996 | Age Range: 5 and up | Lexile Measure: 570L (What's this?)

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

Product Details

• Age Range: 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 30 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House; Reprint edition (March 1, 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: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,574 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Engineering
  • #5 in Books > Children's Books > Arts, Crafts & Music > Architecture

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 gailgibbons.com

Product Details

• Age Range: 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 30 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House; Reprint edition (March 1, 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: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,574 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Engineering
  • #5 in Books > Children's Books > Arts, Crafts & 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

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 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]

Format: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!

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful

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

By Browyn Brough

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

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.

15 of 18 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

Format: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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars How a house is built July 4, 2011

By Lori A. Halliburton

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Bought this for my grandson who is two. He loves going to the basement and telling me where the duct work is and the water heater is, so I wanted to get him a book to show him about houses. It was a bit too much for him, but I think about 3 or 4 year olds would love this, if they are curious.

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of Book June 13, 2013

By busy life

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

My class enjoyed reading this book together and since we were talking about homes, the children remembered the various tools used in the construction of a home when they visited a construction site where a home was being renovated.

5.0 out of 5 stars Not exactly riveting, yet still a very wonderful book for the younger crowd.. November 18, 2012

By Jackie-the-Greyhound TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I would recommend this for the 8 and under crowd. An 8 year old may find the style a bit simple but the words and definitions of the workers involved will be enough to suit their fancy. The 5/6 and under crowd will probably need a little help with the longer job titles and whatnot. However, I can really see this book as being an excellent resource for a family to read together with the smaller kiddos if they are building or renovating a house. Also, the budding builders will find this a lot of fun too and I'm sure there will be a segment of children that reread this one over and over again.

Pretty cool and highly recommended!

JTG

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for preschoolers and elementary school students October 3, 2012

By BostonMama

Format:Paperback

I was the parent helper at my daughter's wonderful preschool last year. The Reggio-Emilia inspired school tends to follow the interests of the students as they explore, and recent construction in the area, particularly new housing, led to a great interest in construction on the part of the 2 and 3 year olds. The teachers read this book to them on the day I was helper. I was amazed that a non-fiction book like this could be so riveting for young toddlers, and how much they could absorb from it. My daughter and her friends like the book quite a bit, and she quoted it later on. It's a book that is great for preschoolers, but would also be perfect for more advanced elementary students. No easy feat, particularly for a non-fiction picture book. Great choice.

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book! September 14, 2012

By Sarah

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

My 3 year old has recently become very interested in home building as we live in a developing community with lots of new construction going on. This book is perfect for him. It goes just far enough beyond what we might think to tell him about house building to really teach him something new and hold his attention. We are always amazed at how much info our little guy takes in and retains so think twice before you write this one off as too advanced for a younger child.