Monday, September 30, 2013

My Favorite Picture Books: Building Our House

Building Our House by Jonathan Bean

I posted before on another book by Jonathan Bean, At Night, which is still probably my favorite of his books, but this one is a close second and worthy of a Favorite Picture Books post.

In this book, Mr. Bean illustrates for us the building of a home based on the building of his own childhood home. (He provides a few pictures in the back of the real house which delighted Second Daughter, who then knew it was a "real story.")

Kansas Dad would probably love to build a house himself (if he could manage to get a sabbatical from the university). I have doubts about my own sanity during such a process, but I love the idea of it, so I love reading this book with the children and imagining the process. A building site is an eternal source of interest for children. Watching them (in the book) all work together to create a safe and warm retreat for the family is wonderful. It's also charming the way the family grows at the same time the house is growing.