Product Details

• Actors: Fred Levine's Original
• Format: Color, Live, NTSC
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Tapeworm Video
• VHS Release Date: November 14, 1995
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6303875807
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,636 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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  Video > Kids & Family > Cars, Planes, Trains & More > Buildings

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Kids curious about how houses are built will be completely enthralled by Fred Levine's 35-minute presentation of virtually every aspect of house construction. A brief narration about each step of the process is provided by George, a construction worker initially found operating an excavator, followed by several minutes of close-up footage of construction workers using an amazing variety of tools and machinery. The live footage is accompanied by lots of rock-inspired instrumental music that will have kids tapping their feet and dancing about. Stages covered include excavation, foundation pouring, framing, and interior and exterior finish work. Copious footage of the making of concrete, from blasting at the rock quarry to its preparation at the mixing plant, and of the manufacture of lumber, including cutting, transport, and milling is lengthy, but provides visually appealing, detailed answers to a child's natural curiosity about the nature of these materials. Glimpses of children performing actions similar to those of the construction workers help kids relate the construction process to real life. For instance, foundation pouring is likened to making sand castles at the beach, and excavation is compared to kids playing with shovels in a sandbox. A minimal amount of commentary paired with lots of footage of the construction process provides a mixture that will rivet your child's attention to the screen. (Ages 3-11) --Tami Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Informative, interesting and fast paced video, November 11, 1999

By A Customer

After watching "Road Construction Ahead" about 365 times, I thought it was time for something new for me and my son. "House Construction Ahead" lived up to my expectations. I would say the 2 videos are complementary to one another. There is a small amount of overlap in material but this is acceptable. House Construction Ahead addresses different processes from Road Construction Ahead such as the manufacture of concrete and logging (which have their own unique set of heavy equipment). About 1/3 of the tape is devoted to the actual assembly of the house. But think about it, how interesting would it be to kids if it was 30 min of someone hammering nails. As is, this part is done appropriately in a fast paced fashion with a good soundtrack. I refrained form giving it a full 5 stars because of the glaring omission of how the sewer, gas and water utilities are connected to the house. Not to mention the digging of the swimming pool. The people who should really jump on the bandwagon here are the toy companies who could produce a whole line of the unique heavy equipment toys and market them like STAR WARS. As for me, I'm waiting for the prequils, "Bridge Construction", "Shopping Mall Construction"... All of which could address unique processes that most kids don't get a chance to see. GOOD JOB!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for little ones, December 13, 2000

By	David L. VanHorn (Creston, IA USA) - See all my reviews

I have three young boys, ages 6, 4 and 2. This is one of the movies they like watching most, especially the 2 and 4 year old. I recommend it for young ones. If you are looking for a video devoted to the details of framing and finishing a house, this is not the video you are looking for.It is a general video that is fast paced and entertaining to young viewers.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars another great video from fred levine, January 20, 2002

By	busytwinmom "busytwinmom" (redlands, ca USA) - See all my reviews

This video has my two-year-old twin boys enthralled. Great footage of tools in use and their all-time favorite sequence featuring logging machines. There is some overlap with road construction ahead, but they don't mind a bit. Its all exciting stuff. I'm very picky about what I will let my kids watch. This is educational, exciting and, after watching it myself a hundred times, has nothing that might annoy adults. Two thumbs up.