Build Your Own Fort, Igloo and Other Hangouts

Build it Yourself

by Tammy Enz

Everyone likes a private place where they can get away from it all. Follow the simple steps inside to build a fort, a teepee, or several other hideouts. It s easier than you think and you ll have your own private hangout in no time."

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really, I am hugely enjoying the combination of Tammy Enz' featured text and the accompanying pictorials (the photography as well as the instructive line drawings) for her 2011 juvenile construction picture book Build Your Own Fort, Igloo, and Other Hangouts (which I am reading on Open Library). And yes, the short but always sufficiently detailed general descriptions of the various featured hangouts (a lego-like cardboard fort made from empty soda pop boxes, a tie-dyed teepee, an edible garden hut, an umbrella tent, an outdoor shelter made of leaves, a colourful snow fort and a traditional igloo) provided by Tammy Enz in Build Your Own Fort, Igloo, and Other Hangouts, they are generally verbally delightful (and also really make me want to try building especially the soda pop carton fort and the igloo).

Furthermore and for me also really importantly, that the instructions encountered in Build Your Own Fort, Igloo, and Other Hangouts are sufficiently detailed but also nicely easy to follow and never either unnecessarily convoluted or overly verbose and that Enz very much appreciatively so presents simple and relatively quickly built constructions and more difficult, more time consuming ones as well, yes, Build Your Own Fort, Igloo, and Other Hangouts makes both my inner child and also my adult reading self smile (and that some of the construction projects shown and described by Tammy Enz are obviously meant for indoors and and others for in the garden, in the woods, in the so-called great outdoors).

Now with regard to my star rating for Build Your Own Fort, Igloo, and Other Hangouts, well, I do wish I could consider a five star rating (as what is textually being provided by Enz is in my opinion generally really nice and that I also very much appreciate the inclusion of suggestions for further reading). However, I do wish that instead of a tie-dyed teepee, Tammy Enz would title this activity a tie-dyed tent (since I do wonder how Native Americans would feel about this), I also think that for the leaf shelter in Build Your Own Fort, Igloo, and Other Hangouts, Enz should very specifically warn against using poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac leaves (and that both the edible garden hut and the leafy hut might potentially attract stinging insects). Still, Build Your Own Fort, Igloo, and Other Hangouts is most definitely highly recommended and both textually and visually looks like oh so so so much fun.

[Joella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I had this when I was a kid! I love all the various things that can be built. I think I would have liked to have the leafy hut or colorful snow castle to play in. Huzzah for books that get kids to not only encourage them use their imagination, but actually help them learn the skills required to build something and work with their hands!

[Kate Hastings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grades 2-5. Mostly I am putting this book in here b/c the author Tammy Enz has a new book in the Capstone Fact Finders series called "Zoom It" and others that are basically invention-building books that would be very helpful for an invention convention, or just for kids that like making little machines out of everyday stuff.

[Přemysl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, a few tips, short and illustrative. It's not a rocket science, most kids would cope with it with a little advice, using anything what's at hand.

With one big exception. Very few children would be successfull in building igloo the described way. Maybe unless ideal snow structure in the deep north or high mountains. It's almost parody in relation to old inuit mastery, surprisingly written by engineer(!!).

On the contrary, using basic vaulting technique (3 points for block) is easy and doable in almost any conditions below freezing (personally confirmed at least thirty times).
The closed dome will help keep you warm and toasty inside, but only if the tunnel would be below the floor level and much smaller ventilation hole at the top of the vault. Of course waterproof sleeping bags are unnecessary, but good winter sleeping pad (or two standard) is essential.