Curious Constructions: A Peculiar Portfolio of Fifty Fascinating Structures (Construction Books for Kids, Picture Books about Building, Creativity Books) - Hardcover

Hearst, Michael

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1452144842 ISBN 13: 9781452144849

Publisher: Chronicle Books, 2017

Synopsis

Curious about constructions? Inside this book, you'll come face-to-face with 50 incredible structures, including: a fire-breathing octopus sculpture; the skateboard ramp you'd need to jump the Great Wall of China; a whole community of tree houses in Costa Rica; and a lifesize X-Wing Starfighter built of Legos. These and many more fascinating accounts of constructions both fantastically useful and gloriously unnecessary await inquisitive readers, aspiring engineers, and anyone who ever looked at a skyscraper and thought, "Yeah, but what if it had a roller coaster on top?"

About this title

About the Author

Michael Hearst is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and writer. He is the author of the other Uncommon Compendiums, Unusual Creatures and Extraordinary People. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Matt Johnstone is an illustrator who has worked for a wide range of clients around the world. He is currently based in London.

Reviews

Gr 4–6—There are lots of weird, mysterious, funky, incongruous, and compelling structures in this world—ones that might leave students scratching their heads or staring with their mouths agape. Hearst obviously had a lot of fun compiling this interesting assortment of man-made creations, making great use of wit and puns to enliven the content. For instance, the spread on El Pulpo Mecanico, an enormous traveling metal sculpture by artist Duane Flatmo, begins, "Look out! It's a giant mechanical fire-breathing octopus! What's not to love?" Hearst introduces readers to such edifices as the Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea; the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and the Longaberger Building in Newark, OH, revealing curious facts about each. Johnstone's illustrations are detailed and colorful, with a slightly cartoonlike quality. While not glossy or photo-perfect, these attractive images still give readers a sense of the actual structures. Both would-be builders interested in quirky, unusual sights and teachers who want a mentor text that demonstrates how voice and tone can be used to present familiar information in a new light would appreciate this book. VERDICT A fine selection for geography and engineering collections.—Maggie Chase, Boise State University, ID

Edition details

• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1452144842
• ISBN 13: 9781452144849
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Johnstone Matt
• Number of pages: 112