Customer Reviews

Tonka: Building The Skyscraper

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

 

 

My kids can't get enough trucks, truck books, construction videos... you get the idea. We've read practically everything out there for toddlers, which is all pretty much the same - loaders, cranes, backhoes, loaders, cranes, backhoes. Frankly, they've advanced beyond simple descriptions of machines. So it was refreshing to find this book which is loaded with information about how a tall building is built. It tells the story from start to finish, from the surveyors at the beginning, the welders in the middle, the utility workers at the end and lots of machines throughout. One caveat: this is NOT a "baby-preschool" book. It is really for 4 - 6 year olds (possibly even older) or preschoolers who are ready to jump a level of sophistication. For example, it explains the difference between the live load and the dead load that the building must support, and why steel frames allow people to build so high. Lots of big words are used without introduction, like architect and pyramid. My almost 4-year-olds get it, but they wouldn't have a year ago. If you are looking for a different type of construction book, or need to provide your young child with new, more advanced construction info, this will fit the bill.

As an architect, I was certain I would find this book to be too simplistic and childish, but it is actually a fairly detailed and reasonably accurate story of the construction of a building. The text is a little misleading at times and some incorrect terminology is used (including my pet peeve of referring to concrete as "cement"), but the overall story is good at teaching the basics of structural design and construction sequencing.

I bought it as a gift for my son several years ago for his 5th birthday. Now at 9 years old he still occasionally reads through it and my 5 year old daughter likes me to read it to her also.

I recommend this book for any young child aged 4 plus who is interested in design or construction.

A good book covering terms like cladding, telecommunications etc. Perfect for your little sturctural engineer!