Brick: Who found herself in Architecture by Joshua David Stein illustrated by Julia Rothman

This author of this book has been so creative and inventive. This is the story of young Brick who sets off on an adventure. In our daily lives we see bricks everywhere but in this book we hear from one special brick as she describes what she sees around her as she tries to find her place in the world. Along the way she explores architectural landmarks from around the world. 

"When Brick was just a baby, tall buildings amazed her. She wondered how anything could grow so big."

At the back of the book there are notes about all the places she visits: Malbork Castle, Poland; Malwya Minaret, Iraq; The Great Wall of China; and many others.

If you are reading this post and it is May or June in 2023 you might be able to purchase this hardcover book for a really good price - it has been greatly reduced by this online seller. Brick is a very different book but it is one you could use with younger children talking about finding your place in the world, with children who are interested in architecture or children who are about to travel overseas, or with older children who might be researching less well known buildings and temples such as The Ark in Uzbekistan and the Mahabodhi Temple in India. In an art lesson your students could photograph or paint or draw all the different types of, and uses of, bricks in their environment. Our hero Brick ends up as a paving stone. At my previous school we had a walk way of pavers like this to celebrate a school anniversary - exploring something like this could also be an interesting writing stimulus. There is also the social justice issue of brick kilns and child labour.  Read more about this important issue here which links with any study of the Rights of the Child.  And finally of course there are STEM links you could explore using this book.

Read more about this book in a blog post from Celebrate Picture Books: Brick, Who Found Herself in Architecture is an original and lyrical look at individuality, growing up, and finding one’s place in the world.

"When she could go no further, she sat down and thought some more. 'Great things begin with small bricks,' she repeated. Then she let go of the words and just felt the feeling. ... And then suddenly, it dawned on her. Maybe Brick could just stay right where she was. After all, her journey had led her exactly here. Perhaps here was the perfect place to be."

Julia Rothman is the illustrator of this new (and very crazy/appealing) book:

Need a House? Call Ms Mouse! by George Mendoza illustrated by Doris Susan Smith

This book was first published in 1981 with the title House by Mouse in the UK and Need a House? Call Ms Mouse in the US. The original publisher was Andre Deutsch in the UK and Grosset & Dunlap in the US. This new edition was published in 2022 by the Australian publisher Allen and Unwin. My friend recently lent me her two copies so in this post I plan to compare them. I do need to say I was not familiar with the original book. If you do by chance have the book from 1981 or the paperback from 1983, copies are selling for large amounts of money.

I'm trying to track down the history of this book. I did find this:

The text in the Australian version was much more straightforward, with simple description and no jokes. Interestingly, the gender of several of the animals changed between the two versions; in the American version, the bear became male and the pig became female—a much closer match, it seems to me, to gender stereotypes.  Slate, September 24, 2013.

I don't know how Allen and Unwin came to reprint this US classic book but it gives me heart that other wonderful books that are long out of print could come "back from the dead".  I have a Pinterest of books that are Out of Print and should be republished - hello Allen and Unwin - can you please take a look at this?

Whether simple or grand, Henrietta will find a solution, and she might just inspire future architects and designers to do the same. Kids' Book Review

About George Mendoza: A poet, screenwriter, travel journalist, novelist, and writer of children’s books, George Mendoza (1934–2018) established himself as a top author of his day, publishing over 100 books for children and adults worldwide. In 1968, he was awarded the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award for his book The Hunter I Might Have Been. Ahead of his time in terms of packaging projects, his phenomenal energy, talent, and imagination were reflected in his many collaborations with celebrities such as Carol Burnett and Michel Legrand, renowned artists like Eric Carle and Norman Rockwell. NY Review of Books

None of the illustrations have been changed in the new edition - thank goodness - they are so charming and invite revisiting to explore all their tiny details. You can see nearly every page here. 

The text has been changed, though, on every page and I have to say I wonder why? I would love to read the two versions aloud to a child or group of children to see which one works best. I do prefer the original on some pages if indeed it is the original  - I continue to be confused.  The National Library of Australia list a 1981 edition of this book with Allen and Unwin as the publisher. The British library catalogue list a 1981 edition (House by Mouse) with the publisher Methuen (a Magnet paperback). 

The original UK edition listed each page as a series of 'chapters' but in this new book the page is called Henrietta's Portfolio. Allen and Unwin also changed the dedication!

Opening sentences UK: This is Henrietta sitting at her drawing board and working deep into the night, without even stopping to nibble at a cheese sandwich or drink a cup of coffee. ... All the animals want to live in a house designed by Henrietta, because she is the only mouse in the world who understands exactly what makes a squirrel or a rabbit, a caterpillar or a frog feel at home. In short Henrietta is a genius.

Opening sentences new edition: "Henrietta is a world-famous decorator, which means she is: an artist, a designer, a dreamer, a builder, a creator - all that and more too. You may have heard about Henrietta from your forest friends. Squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks and all kinds of birds know her .... Sometimes she labours far into the night, without even thinking of nibbling on a piece of bread or cheese."

"For music loving Spider, Mouse designed a modern recording studio complete with performing platform. Then she wired his web to the whole thing and joined him in a jazz session certain to catch the ear of any unsuspecting fly or mosquito passing by"

"Spider's web becomes a musical dive with a magical tuned-up beat. 

Beware, flying gnats, moths and flies!

"Squirrel asked for a house in the tree-tops that would make him feel he lived in a space-ship"

"Imagine: Squirrel asks Henrietta to design a spaceship feeling in the branches of a knotty tree."

If you have a budding architect in your family or a child who is fascinated by how our homes are designed I highly recommend this book. I especially love the cross section illustrations, the rabbit's house, frog's pagoda house and the way nearly every house has a set of book shelves crammed full of books. 

Here is a companion book:

If I built a House

You might be lucky and find this book in your school or local library:

Meet the illustrator Lucie Vandevelde

I spied this colourful book in the school library I visit each week. The cover really caught my eye and I was curious about the French illustrator - Lucie Vandevelde.

Here is her book by Geraldine Elschner which explores the work of Friedensreich Hundertwasser and the Hundertwasser House in Vienna which consists of fifty apartments, shared spaces and shops. The communal areas are decorated with mosaics depicting animals and plants and there is a playground with undulating floors for children.  Hundertwasser made architecture with bends and curves that resemble rivers, mounts or plants. He believe that society should live in harmony with nature and not pollute it.

Hunderwasser is the only book I could find in English illustrated by Lucie Vandevelde. 

Take a look here to see a huge collection of Lucie's illustrations, mural work and ceramics. 

I do hope Presetel can find others to translate so we can share her work with children here in Australia. Here are a couple of her French titles:

Read more about this book "In my dreams"  and the one below - The Secret Garden here 

(you'll need to us Google translate to read this in English)

From Les Trois Dragons

Lucie Vandevelde is also known for her mural work

Here is a list of all her titles in French: 

• Big Mama trombone
• Carnet d'Artiste . Au Pays des Dragons
• Claude Nougaro Enchanté
• Dans mes Rêves
• Funambule
• La Nuit des Doudous
• Le Cirque de Zoé
• Le Jardin des secrets
• Les Trois Dragons
• Poèmes à fleur de terre
• Poèmes de tiges et de rameaux
• Poèmes d'ombre et de lumière
• Poèmes sous le vent
• Poèmes sur le fil de l'eau
• Une Maison Fantastique

Crossings by Katy S Duffield illustrated by Mike Ododán

Just when you think someone has thought of every possible topic for a non-fiction book another book/idea/topic pops up. The subtitle of this book is: 

Extraordinary structures for extraordinary animals.

"All over the world people are building over, under, across, and through the places where wild animals live, and the animals are losing their homes. But now - all over the world people are also building wildlife crossings that help the animals safely travel over, under, across and through busy roadways that people have built. And these crossings are working!"

In this book you will read about: tunnels for elephants in Kenya; a bridge with 3000 trees built for pangolins in Singapore; the way the route is diverted for thousands of crabs on Christmas Island; a New Zealand tunnel for tiny Blue Penguins; safe wildlife crossings for elk in Banff; and 125 rope bridges in Costa Rica for their Titi monkeys.

Here is one of the example of crossings from Australia:

Take a closer look at this sample page. The text in this book is perfect for younger readers because each page has two, three or four lines in larger print with a brief explanation of the illustration. It is also perfect for older primary readers because each page also includes a paragraph in smaller print with more details about the crossing. The back matter fills in more details and also contains a useful further reading list. 

An unusual focus on one way humans and animals can coexist in our world. Kirkus

Crossings (published in 2020) is a large format book with rich digital illustrations and yet I am happy to see it costs less than $30 so if you have a little money in your library budget this unique book is one you might want to consider. 

Mule Deer using a highway underpass 

Monkey Bridge in Brazil - click on this site to see 50 other crossing 

examples from around the world

Katy S Duffield has videos on her web site which you could use with a class. In this blog post Katy talks about the idea behind her book and her thoughts about writing expository non fiction. 

Post update - since I shared this book with you a couple of other titles have been published:

CSIRO Publishing February 2025

And if you create a mini unit around this theme I highly recommend reading this slim junior novel:

This might have a different cover in your school or local library

Eugene the Architect by Thibaut Rassat

"Eugene was an architect - a rigorous architect and, some would say, a bit eccentric. Actually most people thought he was a little bit crazy. He preferred to stay at home in his high, angular, dark house."

The key words from this text quote are angular and dark. Eugene likes things to be ordered, neat and tidy including his buildings. He designs structures with straight lines and perfect geometric shapes. Eugene might be described as a 'control freak' because he takes time to supervise the construction of his buildings every step of the way. 

Now the for complication. One evening a strong wind blows a huge old tree right into the middle of the third floor of the newest building which is under construction. The workers expect Eugene to order them to cut down the tree but instead Eugene climbs up into the tree where he makes an amazing discovery. The tree has beautiful angles and proportions. It is perfect. Eugene has discovered the wonder of nature. 

Eugene now sees the whole world in a very different way. He makes amazing changes to his building giving space to all creatures - animals and humans.

"He had created something special in every little corner. The children were sliding down the huge toboggan. The older folk were daydreaming on their new benches."  

He even included a library!

Publisher Blurb Penguin Random House: Eugene the architect designs buildings that are incredibly straight and orderly. He is very proud of his latest work–an enormous house with perfectly perpendicular walls and windows. One day he is surprised to find a tree growing in what will be the house’s living room. Instead of cutting it down, Eugene studies the tree, marvelling at the way its branches, roots, leaves, and trunk grow in elegant proportions. Suddenly, Eugene sees nature in an entirely new way–not as the opposite of precise order, but as something with its own type of perfection. Thibaut Rassat’s playful illustrations introduce young readers to basic architectural and geometric principles while amusing them with Eugene’s prickly personality and joyful discovery. They will come away with a new appreciation for architecture and for the unexpected twists and turns that make the natural world–and our life in it–so fascinating.

Many years ago I had a student in my library who was the son of a very famous Sydney Architect. One day this young boy asked to borrow some architecture books - we didn't have many but from then on when I saw new titles on this topic I added them to my library. Eugene the Architect is a book I would have loved to put into his hands. I have discovered the author himself is an architect who lives in Paris.  Here is a house designed by the father of this boy from my previous school which gives you an idea of his talent. This is a house in a suburb near me:

If your young reading companion is a fan of the Andy Griffiths 13 Storey Treehouse series this book might give them a different perspective about architecture and an appreciation of creative fun in design. You might also look for this treasure - If I built a House by Chris van Dusen. 

Here is the cover of the French (Canadian) edition - Mauvaise Herbe.

My friend at Kinderbookswitheverything has an extensive Pinterest collection of books about architecture. You might try to find some of these:

Who Left the Light On? by Richard Marnier illustrated by Aude Maurel translated by Emma Ramadan

 

Every house looks the same. The same roof, the same front door, and the same daily routine until one night someone leaves their light on! Everyone is dismayed but then this odd ball neighbour moves away and things settle down again. Over time, though, the empty house begins to fall down. 

"The house, abandoned by all, starts to collapse. The roof starts to leak, the walls have huge cracks, and the dangling shutters are beginning to flap. The house gets so bad the town has it demolished."

One day the home owner returns. He has seen wonderful things on his journey so he sets about building a splendid new and very quirky house. The neighbours are not happy but then one of them decides to paint their shutters blue. And so the transformation of this neighbourhood begins. 

The final pages spread out over four pages and boy oh boy you and your young reading companion are in for a wonderful surprise.

Image Source: Restless Books

This translation from the French, told in simple rhyme, will inspire young architects to think outside the box. Kirkus

Here is a statement from the publisher web site - Yonder Books an imprint of Restless Books:

"Yonder is an imprint from Restless Books devoted to bringing the wealth of great stories from around the globe to English-reading children, middle graders, and young adults. Books from other countries, cultures, viewpoints, and storytelling traditions can open up a universe of possibility, and the wider our view, the more powerfully books enrich and expand us. In an increasingly complex, globalised world, stories are potent vehicles of empathy. We believe it is essential to teach our kids to place themselves in the shoes of others beyond their communities, and instil in them a lifelong curiosity about the world and their place in it. Through publishing a diverse array of transporting stories, Yonder nurtures the next generation of savvy global citizens and lifelong readers."

Take a look at the web pages of the French illustrator. This is a very special book but I am sad to see that here in Australia it costs over $40. Perhaps you will find this book in a well stocked library as I did.

If I built a house by Chris van Dusen

My house will be nifty! My house will be neat!

My house will stand out as the best on the street!

If I built a house is the perfect book for budding architects and also for fans of the popular Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton series which begins with the 13 Story Treehouse.

Jack builds the house of his dreams. Yes there are the regular (albeit amazing) rooms such as a kitchen, living room and bathroom but there are also utterly fantastical rooms such as an art room with a giant spool of paper for 1,000,000 drawings, a flying room with no gravity, a racetrack room and a wonderful underwater room.

I have two favourite parts in this book. One is the wonderful blue print end papers - front and back are different. The other thing I love is the little black dog. When you pick up this book (which has just been released in paperback) try to find the dog - he is on every page and he loves all the adventures afforded by this brilliant house. Take an especially close look at the art room where Jack's dog has been used as a model for a sculpture. It is so funny.

There are two other books in this series:

I would pair this book with Andrew Henry's Meadow by Doris Burn.

Andrew Henry's Meadow by Doris Burn

Just as relevant today as it was in 1965, this is a heart-warming story about children who want to feel special and appreciated for who they are.  Book Depository

This is a very old book but luckily it is a classic and so it is still in print.  Andrew Henry's Meadow was first published in 1965 and so it seems odd that I had not heard about this book nor had I encountered Doris Burn who is such a skilled illustrator.

Andrew Henry lives in the town of Stubbsville. Andrew Henry is an inventor. He makes the most wonderful devices - a helicopter in the kitchen, an eagle's cage in the living room, a merry-go-round for his sisters Marian and Martha and a "system of  pulleys" for his brothers Robert and Ronald. Sadly his family do not appreciate his creativity so he packs his tools and sets off to build a house for himself. Sam, his dog, is left at home. Andrew Henry finds the perfect location and he builds a splendid house using clay, rocks and poles. Andrew Henry enjoys his solitude but he is not alone for long. Alice Burdock arrives and she asks Andrew Henry build her a tree house. As the days go by George Turner wants a bridge house and Joe Polasky wants a dugout house. Jane O'Malley and Margot LePorte request a castle and a tee pee.  Meanwhile all the parents are frantically searching for their missing children. It's time for Sam to save the day!

When Andrew Henry comes home things change. He is given space for building and he makes something for every member of his family.

"He built a roller coaster for Robert and Ronald's toy cars. By using a bucket and parts of an electric fan, he made a hair dryer for Marian and Martha. The coffee mug he made for his father worked the same way as a bird feeder does. And he was especially proud of the automatic table setter he made for his mother."

You can see more of the illustrations here and here. You can see a video reading of the whole book.

I would pair Andrew Henry's House with Building our House, The Junkyard Wonders, Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty and Whatcha building by Andrew Daddo.  If you have a child who loves to draw grab this book because the pencil sketches are sure to inspire them. Also why not take this book outside to read and then make a construction, invention or house yourself. The fun you and your children will have might amaze you.

Tilt by Mary Hoffman

Why did I pick up this book on a recent shopping expedition?

• Firstly the cover - Tilt - great title for a book about the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
• Secondly the author - I do love the writing of Mary Hoffman (I met her in London in 2012).  I always to read her book The Colour of Home to our senior classes.

The suggested reading/interest age for Tilt is 12+ but there is no reason why a senior Primary student should not read this book.

Netta (Simonetta) watches her father working on the tower at Pisa.  It is leaning but this is not the fault of her father. He is the head mason of the city but there have been other masons before him.

"Oh I know girls aren't supposed to be interested in the structure of buildings or in stone carving. But all my life I had seen my father come home from his work covered in marble dust or seen him drawing his designs for statues ... His work fascinated me, spoke to my every instinct, and I couldn't pretend to be keen on learning how to cook or clean and sew, as real daughters were supposed to."

So this book embraces themes of women's rights, science and technology, STEM subjects along with a fascinating historical setting of Pisa in 1298 all in just 92 pages.

Here are five questions with Mary Hoffman about Tilt.  Tilt is designed for readers with dyslexia. You can read more here.  You might like to read this detailed review.

Pippo the fool by Tracey E Fern illustrated by Pau Estrada

If you are taking a holiday to far away destinations in Europe consider reading this book first.  It will give a child in grades 2-5 a better appreciation of the amazing architecture they will encounter on your travels.

Pippo lives in Florence.  A competition is announced - "To design a dome for the cathedral".

Little Pippo - who is known as Pippo the fool loves to sketch amazing structures and intricate machines.  Pippo knows if he can win this competition it will mean he can loose his awful nickname but he has a serious rival - Lorenzo Ghiberti.

Pippo shows that hard work, self belief, determination and above all creative thinking are the best ways to solve a problem.  While Lorenzo struts around the city boasting and taunting Pippo, he simply gets on with the job.

Pippo the fool is based on the true story of the man who designed and built the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore.  There are details at the back of this book about his life and also notes from the illustrator which are well worth reading. If you need to know a little more about the plot for Pippo the Fool take a look at this detailed review. The author also has a web site.

Fiddlesticks by Sean Taylor illustrated by Sally Anne Garland

Have you ever been so frustrated you just needed to YELL!  Poor little mouse. His house is almost perfect but one window just needs a tiny adjustment.  Unfortunately this tiny movement of the window leads to a chain reaction of disasters.

Before you read any words in this book why not simply go through the whole story looking at the pictures - especially mouse's face which perfectly reflects each disaster.

"FIDDLESTICKS, RATS, HOPSCOTCH AND NANG DANG DARN IT!"

His friends try to so hard to help but, with his house almost totally destroyed, mouse simply has to walk away in despair.  Luckily the end of the story will give everyone a huge reason to smile again.

Here is the author web site.  If you need to read more of the plot dip into this review.  You might also enjoy No Place like home.