Building Our House

by Jonathan Bean

Other authorsJonathan Bean (Illustrator)

Hardcover, 2013

Status

Checked out

Call number

BEAN

Genres

Children's Books

Publication

Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (2013), Edition: First, 48 pages

Description

A young girl narrates her family's move from the city to the country, where they have bought a piece of land and live in a trailer while they build a house from the ground up, with help from relatives and friends.

User reviews

LibraryThing member 2wonderY

I used to work at a library and had the habit of ordering any and all books that might catch my interest. I still keep the library catalog page close to hand. I think I saw some Jonathan Bean illustrations on Pinterest, and borrowed a few titles to see whether he lived up to the couple of

illustrations I'd seen. This was by far the best. There is a type of picture book that always attracts - I wish it had a name. It starts with a long landscape shot and documents changes to the scenery over time. This is the technique Mr. Bean chose to tell the true story of his parents building their own house back in the 80's. Yes, they were back-to-the-landers. The house is a post and beam structure. He alternates the long shots with close ups of the work and the interior, and then finishes up with a few photos and a note giving a few more family details. This is a great book about family, work, home, community.
I might need to own it.

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LibraryThing member Sullywriter

A young girl narrates the story of how her family moved from the city to the country and bult their own home. An elegantly paced story with perfectly matched text and illustrations.

LibraryThing member brangwinn

This is a unique books. The author/illustrator uses his family history about building their own home in this picture book. When you read the author's notes, you find the actual event was much more of an adventure than the book. Betsy Bird of SLJ's Fuse8 blog suggests this as a possible 2014

Caldecott nominee. Although a worthy purchase for a library, I didn't like as well as she did, other than the unique story. I always like Bean's illustrations.

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LibraryThing member aconant

This book is based on the author Jonathan Bean's childhood. The detailed description of building his parent's home in the country is mesmerizing. At the back of the book, he includes some great photos of the actual building process. I loved this book. The text is simple and the illustrations give

depth to the plot.

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LibraryThing member EllieRickett

A lovely book filled with interesting illustrations and text that is perfect for children K - 4. Illustrates the value of hard work, family, and cooperation. Based on a true story. Includes an afterward (with pictures) of the author building his childhood home. Compelling for both genders.

LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26

Picture-book author/artist Jonathan Bean, who made his debut with the 2007 At Night, here turns to his own family history to tell the story of how their home was built. Told from the perspective of Bean's older sister, the narrative here follows the Bean family as they move into a trailer home on

the land they have recently purchased, and begin making preparations to build their dream house. From laying the foundation to raising the frame, it's a process that requires a lot of hard work, but plenty of love and community involvement too.

An engaging and informative book that works equally well as a family story and as an exploration of how a house is built, Building Our House is sure to have lots of appeal for children who enjoy looking at pictures of backhoes and trucks, as well as for those who simply wonder how structures are made. I enjoyed both story and artwork - as a cat lover, I particularly liked the way that the family cat shows up on every two-page spread! - and appreciated the inclusion of an afterward with photographs, documenting the 'real' story behind the story. Recommended to young children who enjoy learning how things are built, and to anyone looking for picture-books showing families living and working all together.

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LibraryThing member FamiliesUnitedLL

Absolutely charming. A lovely story of a family creating their homestead. Lots of wonderful construction details, it reminds me a bit of the Richard Scarry book where the bunny’s house is built.

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