If Animals Built Your House

by Bill Wise, Rebecca Evans (Illustrator)

Explore animal habitats how they engineer their homes in this beautifully illustrated STEM book for kids. Filled with imaginative questions, animal facts, and educational backmatter, If Animals Built Your House is perfect for your elementary classroom or family library.

If animals built your house, would you live in it? This unique story alternatives between the narrator telling the reader what kind of house you would live in if an animal built it, and some fun facts about each! Perfect for teachers looking for STEM/STEAM books for kids 5-7, and books that highlight engineering for kids, innovation, and how things work for kids.

If a tree squirrel built your house, no one could ever sneak up on you.

Your house might look like just a jumble of leaves, but it's really a tightly woven, waterproof ball. No hard walls here—this furry builder used its body like a rolling pin to make a soft, cozy room. Just watch out for that first step out your front door!

Animals featured include squirrels, termites, grouper, honeybees, chimpanzees, tree frogs, polar bears, and more!

Backmatter Includes:Explore More for Kids: photos of all of the animals in the book, what their homes look like, and why they build themExplore More for Teachers & Parents: read-aloud suggestions, a STEAM design challenge, and more!

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Nature, Childrens, Animals, Science

32 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2020

Reviews

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Dawn Publications through Edeweiss+.
Wise shares various style homes animals can build humans. He offers insight about living in each animal's home - the fun and the struggles. The illustrations provide further information about the locations. Each animal is included in informative paragraphs at the end of the book. Suggestions for reading this aloud and for discussing the fiction that surrounds the facts provided along with a glossary wrap up the book.
A fun read aloud to include some science.

[Ethan & Isaac · Rating 3 out of 5]

I prefer my bunk beds, thank you.

[Psusan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Animals Built Your House by Bill Wise is engaging, informative and just plain old fun to read. If only there had been science books written like this years ago I would have loved science instead of feeling like it was textbook boring. I read this with my elementary school age granddaughters, not one but twice. As soon as we finished they both requested a repeat read right then.

This is a book that the information is relevant to them but also in bitesize chunks. The illustrations are such that you can enjoy them many times finding some little something that you missed in previous readings or finding your favorite page to be just as interesting as previously.

Easy text so that the third grader had no problem reading or understanding the book. The kindergartener had no problem understanding or discussing. So If Animals Built Your House opened the way for lively discussions on the reasons for choosing which animal to build you a home. In addition the girls wanted me to be sure to say one of their favorite parts of the book were the end pages with the real photos of the animals with their homes. As a retired educator, I appreciated the Literacy and Science Connection pages. From beginning to end If Animals Built Your House received a thumbs up from all of us.

The publisher through Net Galley provided a digital ARC. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts.

[Storywraps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Kids will love learning about the amazing engineering prowess of a variety of animals when they construct their habitats. This creative and fun book gives readers a tour inside the homes of a squirrel, a colony of bees, and the interior of a beaver lodge, just to name a few.

Imaginations are unleashed as the reader has to picture what it would be like to live in the way that the animal does. It's great fun to be shrunk in size and admitted into these different style living quarters to check out.

Each animal is featured in more depth at the end of the book. Also included are suggested literary connections, science connections and recommendations for nature awareness books to research. "If Animals Built Your Home" highlights the wonder of nature that is all around us and gives an encouraging nudge to get out there and explore the magnificent habitats that animals build.

The illustrations presented are detailed, colourful and greatly enrich the text. I love that the author includes real life photos of the animals that she features. Highly recommended.

[Ellenkaymi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an engaging book to introduce students to animal habitats and home! The illustrations we very helpful in showing what animal homes look like. An example is showing the inside of a beaver's home...something that most people will never see from that perspective. I also really liked the actual photographs of the homes at the end of the book, including facts about each type of home. I really liked how there were both commonly known animals, as well as animals that students may not have heard of before. I really like how the book offers learning extensions for teachers and parents as well at the end of the book! I would recommend this book to any parent or teacher who wants to help their children/students learn about animal habitats!

[Flora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an interesting book even for me, an adult. The cover captured my attention right away. I never imagined myself living in animal domains like a beehive. Ha!

Great nature teaching for children and adults alike. Wonderful to launch an investigation into all the different habitats. Great to get the imagination flowing. Makes looking into nature all the more fascinating because you imagine yourself right inside those homes.

Beautiful colorful illustrations. I like that there were photographs at the back so that you can see the real thing.

Great idea for nature journaling!

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Learning about different houses that animals build and live in is a cool way to introduce readers to nature. Squishing inside a beehive or living among thousands of termites in a house taller than a giraffe was entertaining and informative.

Each house is given a four page spread so it took a minute to pick up the rhythm and then it just seems like it was over too soon.

[Jenn Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well-done nonfiction science picture book. We learn about how a wide variety of animals build their houses and what the pros and cons are - I learned a bunch. Back matter has a glossary, and tips for teachers on how to build on top of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you ready to pretend that animals are constructing your new home? Then grab this book and learn all about your design options from the animal kingdom. The illustrations really help you visualize the experience of each animal and adaptions that humans would need to survive in each residence. Perfect for life science fans! Lots of fun variety and ideas!!!

[Iris · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging and informative book! Descriptions of different types of animal homes with fun and interesting facts like how mound termites "live in the tallest structure built by animals - created by tiny architects no bigger than a grain of rice." Real photos of the homes featured in the book are included in the backmatter, along with super easy STEM activity suggestions.

[Terry]

Parent Perspective: Clever, fun, and very educational! I especially loved the balance of talking about houses of animals kids already know, and introducing unlikely-to-know creatures. Great for offering familiarity and yet also stretching their imaginations and learning. Highly recommended.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun way to discuss animal homes and how they are built. Kids look into various animal builders like alligators, bees, squirrels, termites, and red grouper fish. And each shows how you would live in the houses these animals build. The back matter is fun for teachers to use during animal science units. Colorful illustrations and non fiction details throughout.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My students in grades K-3 love this book!

[Andréa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: I accessed digital review copies of this book through Edelweiss and NetGalley.