Books for Kids: Architecture and Building

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Today I’m participating in the Nonfiction Event 10 for 10 hosted by Write at the Edge and Reflect and Refine.  Participants are each sharing 10 of their favorite nonfiction titles.  I decided to share 10 nonfiction titles about architecture and building for the younger crowd.

One of our family traditions each Saturday evening is to pop popcorn and watch This Old House on PBS.  I love watching old homes getting updates while still retaining old charm.  My husband likes to see how they problem solve all the challenges that they encounter.  And, my two boys enjoy watching all the power tools in action and the various construction vehicles and trucks.  So, it seemed appropriate that we create a book list to share our love of architecture and building.

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Books About Architecture and Building

Urban Animals of Washington D.C. by Isabel Hill highlights the rich architectural details of the city’s buildings.  From the U.S. Capitol to the National Zoo, you will find animals tucked into facades of buildings.  This book is especially written for young readers with limited text and big pictures.  Even though it is simple. it is loaded with details.  Readers will learn new vocabulary including:  pediment, frieze and medallion.

How a House is Built by Gail Gibbons tells the reader about the teamwork involved in building a house.  Architects, carpenters and painters all play an important part in getting the big job done.  Gail Gibbons is one of my favorite nonfiction authors.  She has written and illustrated over 100 books on almost any topic you can name.

Castle: How it Works by David Macaulay takes a look at all the parts of a castle and how it’s design keeps the inhabitants safe from harm.  Macaulay is well-known for his longer book Castle that won a Caldecott honor award in the 1980’s.  This newer book brings the topic to an even younger audience!

Pop-Up London by Jennie Maizels takes you on a 3D view of the city!  The book is full of information and architectural details.

If You Lived Here Houses of the World by Giles Laroche takes an interesting look at how houses differ across the world.  The illustrations are paper collages which are an architectural design in themselves.

Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building by Christy Hale recieved a 2013 Horn Book Nonfiction Honor Award.  The left side of each picture spread uses mixed-media collage to showcase children building with different play materials.  The right side of each picture spread showcases a photograph of an iconic building.  For example, a pillow fort is paired with Frank Gehry’s Bilbao Guggenheim.

Houses and Homes by Anne Morris is a simple photographic journey of houses and homes around the world.  Limited text provides lots of opportunities to study the pictures.

Building Stories by Isabel Hill shows us how architectural details can give clues to what goes on inside a building.

Arches to Zigzags:  An Architectural ABC by Michael Crosbie introduces kids to architecture all around us from houses to schools to towers.  You get a close-up look at all the details.

Shapes in Buildings by Rebecca Rissman is a simple book that invites the reader to find shapes in architectural details of buildings.

There you have our 10 nonfiction books for young children about architecture and building!

Is there a book list you would like us to create?  Please leave your ideas in the comments.

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