EVERY PAGE IN THIS DELIGHTFUL NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK offers a unique view into a different type of home, the reasons behind its design features, and a brief history of its people. Stunningly beautiful collage illustrations, loads of detail, interesting facts and figures, and just the right amount of information come together to make this a book that will both captivate and educate readers of all ages.
Each two-page spread is dedicated to a different type of house; examples include an early American log cabin, a Medieval chateau, a Greek “white town” village structure that is still built today, and even an aluminum trailer for traveling and camping. The intricate cut-paper collage illustrations combine drawing, cutting, painting and gluing, and will have readers poring over the tiny details. It’s just the type of illustration that draws in and fascinates young readers, who will want to take their time with each of the intricate scenes, which include not just the structures, but also people, animals, landscaping, and all the other little things that make a house a home.
But it’s not just the beautifully colorful illustrations that tell the story of each home. Each dwelling also has an introductory paragraph, “If you lived here…” with a few examples of what life would be like. Furthermore, below the paragraph is a short section of more extensive information, including House Type, Materials, Location, Dates, and Fascinating Facts. This layering of information makes the book appropriate for a large range in ages; younger ones can appreciate the illustrations while someone reads the text for them, and older readers can learn a little (or a lot) about each home.
This is a book unlike any other; it combines aspects of U.S history, world history, architecture, cultural heritage, and lifestyle. It will appeal to and enchant readers of all ages, and reads more like a typical picture book than a work of non-fiction. Giles Laroche has done a tremendous job of introducing some of the most unique types of homes in the world to children, and I would venture to guess that their curiosity will be piqued, and they will want to go on to learn even more! (ages 6+)

Reviewed by KSD
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Great illustrations! ( )

Fifteen different types of housing found around the world are illustrated in exquisite cutpaper collages. House type, materials used in construction, location, date, and an additional “fascinating fact” accompany the overall descrip - tions of each dwelling.

This is a good book to read to children to show them the different types of houses around the world and the culture behind it. It can be used as a cross curriculum book to make connections between socal studies and science. ( )

It was about different houses and what kind of houses people lived in back in the old times. It discussed different material that the people used to build it and you can see the work that was put into it. It talked about the woods being used and the time period in which it was built.