Synopses & Reviews
Step into unique homes from around the world and discover the many fascinating ways in which people live and have lived. If you lived in the mountains of southern Spain, your bedroom might be carved out of a mountain. If you lived in a village in South Africa, the outside of your house might tell the story of your family. And if you lived in a floating green house in the Netherlands, you could rotate your house to watch both the sunrise and sunset.
With intricate bas-relief collages, Giles Laroche uncovers the reason why each home was constructed the way in which it was, then lets us imagine what it would be like to live in homes so different from our own. Showing the tremendous variety of dwellings worldwideand#8212;log cabins, houses on stilts, cave dwellings, boathouses, and yurtsand#8212;this book addresses why each house is build the way that it is. Reasonsand#8212;such as blending into the landscape, confusing invaders, being able to travel with one's home, using whatever materials are at handand#8212;are as varied as the homes themselves. List of Houses included: Dogtrot log house, based on dogtrots built in the southern U.S.
Chalet, based on chalets built in the Austrian Alps.
Pueblo, Taos, New Mexico
Connected barn, based on connected barns common in northern New England.
Cave dwelling, Guadix, Andalucia, Spain
Palafitos (house on stilts), Chiloe Island, Chile
Palazzo Dario, Venice, Italy
Chateau La Brede, Bordeaux, France
Tulou, Hangkeng village, Yongding, China
Half-timbered houses, Miltenberg am Main, Germany
Greek island village houses, Astipalaia Island, Greece
Decorated houses of Ndebele, Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa
Yurt, based on yurts in Mongolia and other parts of central Asia.
Airstream trailer, USA
Floating house, Middleburg, the Netherlands
Tree house, USA
Review
"A short rhyming text in very large type provides the framework for Laroche's impressive bas-relief cut-paper collages. . . . Best of all, the wide, single-scene spreads create their own staccato rhythm, with wheels of all sizes punctuating the pages like beats of a drum." --Horn Book, starred Horn Book, Starred
"This handsome, large-format picture book points out common uses of wheels in a short, rhyming text, brightly illustrated with distinctive collage illustrations. . . . A simply written, well-illustrated picture book." and#151;Booklist Booklist, ALA
"The striking collage art consists of paper cutouts that have been layered to provide dimension and enhanced by drawing and painting. . . . A fun choice for storytime."and#150;SLJ School Library Journal
Review
"This exemplary title can inspire readers as well as educate them."—School Library Journal, starred review
Review
"This exemplary title can inspire readers as well as educate them."and#8212;School Library Journal, starred review
"With such small connections, Laroche emphasizes the similarities over the differences, making this volume both an informative sampling of domestic architecture and a meaningful representation of global culture."and#8212;Booklist
Review
andquot;In his first book as both author and illustrator, Laroche uses his trademark collage technique, combining drawing, painting, and cut-paper. This isnandrsquo;t a lift-the-flap, question-and-answer title to browse through quickly. The minute detail celebrates the awe-inspiring constructions with a focus reminiscent of David Macaulayandrsquo;s work. This will have many grade-schoolers poring over the pages for a long time.andquot;--
Booklist andquot;Bas-relief cut-paper collages and brief text take readers on a tour of unique architectural structures around the world.andquot;--Kirkus Reviews
andquot;The text is good, the organization is clever, but itandrsquo;s the art here that is truly masterful. The illustrations are made from layers and layers of cut and painted paper, and in fact may be considered sculptureandndash;the visible dimensionality gives each page a deep tactile quality. Animals, people, domestic scenes, and landscapes both natural and manmade are depicted with skill and charm: the intricacy of this art will hold readers spellbound. The book is brought to a satisfying close with a loving re-creation of a North American small-town street and the interior of a lighted room in which two children create ziggurats and temples out of blocks and read Whatandrsquo;s Inside?andquot;--School Library Journal
andquot;Laroche deploys the guessing-game structure and fabulously detailed collages to intrigue an older set of readers . . . structurs hold visual surprises . . . This is an obvious draw for viewers who delight in . . . detail, and also an inspiration for kids with scissors, paper, and patience.andquot;--The Bulletin
Synopsis
Master of the cut and paste art technique, Giles Laroche takes readers on a storytelling journey around the world that celebrates the diversity of homes and the people who are shaped by them. Step into unique homes from around the world and discover the many fascinating ways in which people live and have lived. If you lived in the mountains of southern Spain, your bedroom might be carved out of a mountain. If you lived in a village in South Africa, the outside of your house might tell the story of your family. And if you lived in a floating green house in the Netherlands, you could rotate your house to watch both the sunrise and sunset.
With intricate bas-relief collages, Giles Laroche uncovers the reason why each home was constructed the way in which it was, then lets us imagine what it would be like to live in homes so different from our own. Showing the tremendous variety of dwellings worldwide--log cabins, houses on stilts, cave dwellings, boathouses, and yurts--this book addresses why each house is build the way that it is. Reasons--such as blending into the landscape, confusing invaders, being able to travel with one's home, using whatever materials are at hand--are as varied as the homes themselves.
List of Houses included:
Dogtrot log house, based on dogtrots built in the southern U.S.
Chalet, based on chalets built in the Austrian Alps.
Pueblo, Taos, New Mexico
Connected barn, based on connected barns common in northern New England.
Cave dwelling, Guadix, Andalucia, Spain
Palafitos (house on stilts), Chiloe Island, Chile
Palazzo Dario, Venice, Italy
Chateau La Brede, Bordeaux, France
Tulou, Hangkeng village, Yongding, China
Half-timbered houses, Miltenberg am Main, Germany
Greek island village houses, Astipalaia Island, Greece
Decorated houses of Ndebele, Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa
Yurt, based on yurts in Mongolia and other parts of central Asia.
Airstream trailer, USA
Floating house, Middleburg, the Netherlands
Tree house, USA
Synopsis
As it takes us on a tour of some of the most unique and beautiful structures, this book shows how the purpose of each structure dictated its design, or location. Here are soaring glass skyscrapers (for working people) and a humble stone barn (for working animals); a sealed tomb hewn out of a limestone hillside (for buried reasure) and a majestic marble building, honoring a goddess. As it reveals what lies inside each structure, this book gives insight into the people who designed these buildings -- into their hopes, their lives, and their concepts of beauty. Included -- for budding engineers and architects -- are statistics such as the year built, square footage, materials used, height, and other little known statistics.
Structures included are: Tomb of Tutankamumn in Thebes, Egypt The Parthenon in Athens, Greece Temple of Kukulcan in Chichen Itza, Mexico Buddha's Place in Shanxi Province, China Walled city of Toldeo in Spain Alcazar Castle in Segovia, Spain Independence Hall in Philadelphia Shaker dairy barn in Hancock, MA A Circus big top tent, which traveled to many American cities The Guggenhem Museum in NYC The Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia The Petrona Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia The Georgia Aquarium in Georgia, Atlanta
Synopsis
Yeah, what do wheels do all day?
Well . . . they push . . . race . . . stroll . . . fly . . . whiz . . . and spin . . . all day long!
Simple, direct text, combined with brilliant cut-paper relief illustrations, captures kidsand#8217; fascination with and#147;things that goand#8221; and opens their minds to the wide variety of wheels and what they do.
About the Author
Brilliant at bas-relief cut-paper collage, Giles Laroche is the illustrator of several picture books -- including What Do Wheels Do All Day (Houghton) and Bridges are to Cross -- many of which have generated starred reviews and foreign and special sales.and#160;and#160;and#160; He lives in Salem, MA and in the summer moves to an old barn in New Hampshire.