The Lego Ideas Book: Unlock Your Imagination

by Daniel Lipkowitz

You have what it takes! Did you ever wonder what you can do with all of those LEGO® bricks after you have created the project they came with?

Now with The LEGO Ideas Book, you can take what you already have and make something new! The book is divided into six themed chapters—transportation, buildings, space, kingdoms, adventure, and useful makes—each with basic templates of key models and spreads to inspire you to create your own.

Hints and tips from Master Builders can help you turn your classic car into a race car or add a bridge to your castle! Don't be concerned if you haven't got all the bricks you need: this book also shows how to simplify details, making this a great user-friendly guide for any building ability.

Featuring all-new LEGO® building projects, tips to supplement and enhance your LEGO creations, inspirational builds, and expert advice from LEGO Master Builders, The LEGO Ideas Book will keep kids of all ages creating for hours.

Genres: Nonfiction, Childrens, Reference, Picture Books, Art, Crafts, How To

200 pages, Hardcover

First published September 19, 2011

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is lots to love about this book and nothing to dislike, so long as you accept the title: it's inspirational in intent. There are no step-by-step instructions as you would find if you bought an off-the-shelf LEGO kit. Instead there heaps of pictures of different types of LEGO objects, from buildings to animals to vehicles to practical objects (e.g. picture frames) all designed and built by six amateur LEGO enthusiasts. I think it's great that LEGO reach out to their biggest fans in this way, instead of using people who work for the company as designers - a very different style emerges, with a somewhat old-time air to it, by which I mean prior to the rebirth of LEGO as a company that does movie tie-ins, cartoon DVDs and video games. That rebirth probably saved the company from extinction but it's good to see that they can mix that modern commercialism with the old enthusiast-supporting ethos with projects such as this book.

There's a lot more than just pictures of LEGO models, though: there are tips on how to design your own projects, how to reduce weight and maintain strength in large models, ways of creating certain effects - all sorts. There are also interviews with the designers, covering such things as what they would build given all the time and bricks they needed, what their biggest models are and where they get their inspiration from.

The graphic design is also excellent and the use of humour makes the book accessible to just about any age of LEGO builder. Great stuff!

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good models and tips, but not as many as I expected for a book of this size. Decent variety of structures and scenes: vehicles, town/buildings, space, castle, pirates, animals, robots, mosaics, etc. Large photos show details. Many examples of unusual use of pieces. Includes several interviews with adult builders.

[Anna Keating · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great gift for an 8 year old. Days and days of play. Fun and fascinating.

[Max Geddes · Rating 5 out of 5]

FIRE.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book has a lot of creative ideas

[Ocarl243 · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Lego Lover I read every bit of this big book, It not only gives very informational pictures, but it has a lot of good reading content that is essential for building things I like.

[Geoff Battle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover, the concept and the marketing are outstanding. Anyone with a tub of mixed Lego will be drawn to this book like moths to a flame. After all, this is promising over 500 ideas to put those blocks to good use. What follows. once the cover is opened, will be disappointment. 'I don't have this bit', 'I've never ever seen that bit!' and 'Who would own all those diving flippers?' are questions that will arise.

This book is not about having a tub of rectangular blocks and being able to build houses (which means there's still that niche out there) and after a small perusal it becomes apparent that there is different Lego magic at work here. This book it designed to spark the imagination. Yes you will need a mixture of Lego styles to replicate the ideas within, however it's likely that readers will encounter plenty of 'I hadn't though about doing that' and 'Heh, that's clever' moments.

The Lego Ideas Book is crammed full of inventive ways to utilise your Lego box and it's unlikely you will recreate many of the designs within, but you won't care, you'll be having to much fun with your Lego.

[Lee Battersby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some absolutely beautiful MOCs presented in lush colour, with a smattering of break-aparts to show some internal construction techniques, as well as interviews with the AFOLs who made them, all presented in easy-to flick through chapters organised by theme and interest. The only problem with the book is one that's not easily surmounted when dealing with a subject that lends itself to the photo-and-caption technique, and that is that I would have liked to have seen a more comprehensive breakdowns of models, showing exactly how effects were achieved, rather than just a few choice interior shots without any in-depth building info.

But it's a beautiful coffee-table style book to keep in the Lego building room, and my daughter and I have already played about with favourite designs. Any book that can help father and daughter build and play together is one worth having around the house.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cool lego idea book. Lots of colorful pictures to get the mind thinking. I appreciate the chapter dedicated to castle and medieval builds. As well as the old-school space builds (while I absolutely love the current Star Wars sets... trying to turn the mid 1980s space sets into my own Star Wars universe brings back great memories). It was also fun to read the Q&A with the different contributors. A few of the chapters were less inspiring than others, so this book fell short of a perfect 5 star rating.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could lock myself in my room for a day with only this book and my lego and forget to come back out! If I did come out my mind would full of lego ideas! This clever book gives you simple but effective ideas from master builders.

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love legos!

[Grant Wheeler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great ideas, however a lot of the focus was on placed on designs involving special pieces. There wasn't a balance present for those working with basic pieces. Overall it was fine.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of idea's to kick start any lego project.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dylan and I actually took the time to read this, not just look at the pictures and it is great! There's lots of helpful tips on using the Lego pieces you have for different things--like a torch can become a lamp. The other thing I liked about this book is that it really encourages kids to make up their own ideas, not just follow the instructions or examples. This would be a great gift for any beginner Lego builder.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I borrowed this from the library. This eye-catching book mentions different ideas related to building with LEGO. It has colourful illustrations on every page as well as an explanation on how to build the designs and why they should be built. I would recommend this book for anyone who likes construction or wants to build with LEGO. I particularly liked the section on types of bricks and found it to be very informative.

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lego have always been a favorite in my house. I wish I had this book when I was a kid. I really can't wait to dig out my old Legos to try some of these creations as well as sharing them with my best friend and a very special little girl in my life.

[Evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book can really give you awesome ideas for creations. For example from this book I made a two in one house. It is a small cabin that you can pull the roof off making it a cup to hold all your pencils. Cool huh?

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Lego's, but I wish this book actually taught you how to build things, rather than giving you tips.

[Carli Holman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the books.
Plz keep writing books!
Plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

[Holli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of great ideas!

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fantastic collection of ideas, original models, and hints!

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want bricks.

[Brittany]

Fun and mind blowing to flip through.

[Eeshaan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is great book for building inspiration. Great work DK

[Drew Chestnut]

hi

[Gianna]

Full of great ideas!!😄

[Ryan McDonagh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I built some of them

[Felix Hinshelwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

amazing read very creative

[Sam Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was good

[Aimee]

Ideas, no parts lists or instructions.