Architecture, Colors

by Michael J. Crosbie, Steve Rosenthal

A senior editor at Progressive Architecture and an award-winning architectural photographer come together to present four colorful board books that introduce the built environment to preschoolers. Architecture Counts consists of numbers from 0-10 such as two brackets, three dormers, five arches and six ducts. Architecture Shapes explores shapes through the composition and arrangement of windows. Architecture Colors looks at the entire building as well as several details to suggest nine colors including a red barn, green roofs and a white church. Architecture Animals is an excursion into the deepest, wildest, architectural jungles around. Contains 14 animals in their native habitats--crawling across building facades, perched on top of a skyscraper or lounging at the ocean shore. Each full-color photograph is accompanied by a rhyme that provides hints of the animal's location or history.

Genres: Architecture

22 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1993

About the author

Michael J. Crosbie, PhD, FAIA, has made significant contributions in the fields of architectural journalism, research, teaching, and practice.
Having served as an editor at Architecture: The AIA Journal, Progressive Architecture, ArchitectureWeek.com, and is editor-in-chief of Faith & Form, a quarterly journal on religious art and architecture, he is also a frequent contributor to Architectural Record and writes about architecture and design for the Hartford Courant.
While he has appeared as an architectural expert on The History Channel, he is also the author of more than 20 books on architecture (including five books for children) and has edited and contributed to more than 20 others. Crosbie's work is also frequently featured on CommonEdge.
Additionally, he has served as an adjunct professor at Roger Williams University and Catholic University and has lectured and served as a visiting critic at architecture schools in North America and abroad, including the University of California (Berkeley), the University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, and the Moscow Architectural Institute.
Crosbie is a registered architect in the State of Connecticut and has practiced with Centerbrook Architects & Planners and Steven Winter Associates.

Reviews

[Doris Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

These board books are delightful while teaching about architecture. The photographer Steve Rosenthal’s photographs highlight the concepts being taught. Many will recognize some of the places he chose to photograph.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was fun since we did it like a "guess the color" game. My 4 yr old liked that. It would work for a much younger child learning colors (which is probably why it's bound as a board book), although the subject matter of the photos (architecture- residential specifically if I remember right) is probably better suited to a little older.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

See review for Architecture Shapes.