Concrete: From the Ground Up

Material Marvels

by Larissa Theule, Steve Light (Illustrator)

A stylish, eye-opening, utterly engaging, and often wry look at one of the marvels of the material world, from the ground up.

From a lowly mixture of stone, sand, water, and cement have sprung sidewalks, streets, and skyscrapers, sturdy lighthouses and magnificent palaces, long bridges and massive dams. In ancient building practices, in modern engineering, and in the architecture of the future, humble concrete plays a mighty role in the creation of the human-made world. Brimming with facts and spiced with clever running narrative in the form of repartee-filled speech bubbles, Concrete is as intimate and entertaining as it is informative and visually sweeping. Curious readers of all ages—from would-be engineers to science and history buffs to retro-design lovers—will delight in this bold, one-of-a-kind guide to the (literal) bedrock of civilization, amplified by a bibliography in the back matter.

Genres: Nonfiction, Picture Books, History, Childrens, Stem, Science, Engineering

48 pages, Hardcover

Published September 13, 2022

About the author

Larissa Theule lives with her family in Southern California.

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly no idea how this book went into the nitty gritty of the long history of concrete while still being interesting as a picture book for kids. There should be some sort of award for "impossible picture book material done exquisitely well somehow."

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saw this at my Library under the 2024 Sequoyah shelf and picked it up to see if it would be something my kids would enjoy. You think a book about concrete would be rather boring, but it wasn't. I learned a bit in just the few minutes it took to read.

[Eileen Winfrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought a book about concrete would be boring. I was wrong. The information is presented in a way that is interesting bolstered by detailed but charming illustrations and topped off with clever dialogue bubbles that add a touch of light humor. I really enjoyed this book. A book about concrete. Ha!

[Shiloah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evelyn (12) was assigned this book as part of her homeschool studies. We use a combination of A Thomas Jefferson Education and Well-Trained Mind.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 4 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus or Netgalley

Super interesting picture book that is great for middle school students interested in science or architecture.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most any age will enjoy this jam-packed book about all things concrete, from the earliest makers to the Romans, on to today's engineering marvels. Did you know that cement is different from concrete? Did you know the Romans had an original recipe for concrete? Imagine how they constructed the Colosseum, then the Pantheon! And then, it was lost. Years and years later, a man in need of the secret of a lighthouse that would not keep burning down, John Smeaton, perfected a new recipe. Larissa Theule packs a treasure of information in this history, including the important use of stone, too. She entertains readers with both text and speech bubbles, cleverly illustrated by Steve Light. Real people are depicted in a somewhat humorous fashion. Then there are skyscrapers and dams and gorgeous creations like the Sydney Opera House plus an intriguing art installation in a desert. Theule adds a bibliography at the back. It's a fantastic book for all but especially those budding engineers who ask "How?"
Thanks to Candlewick Press for this copy!

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

A higher level book than I was able to read to my students but excellent for 3rd grade on up. Well researched book!

[ava grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

sequoia 8/10

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking a largely forgotten (and maybe, seemingly boring topic), these pages show how amazing concrete is while also taking the reader on an intriguing ride into history.

The first question addressed in these pages circles around the definition of concrete, cement, and other similar terms, and while doing this, it is anything but mundane. After the basics are established, it's a zoom back into history to explain how concrete has been used through time (or similar compounds), starting way back in ancient cultures. From here, the reader visits the various points in architectural history, where forms of concrete were used, what their purpose was, and how it became what it is today.

While this is a book for slightly older readers (ages 7 to 10), it brings across the material in a well-laid out, easy-to-understand fashion. Step-by-step the reader dives into the topic...and that while keep the material from growing dry. The illustrations make every situation visually clear and are enjoyable, too. Many of the illustrations contain speech bubbles where more information is presented or broken-down in a fun, conversational form. The vocabulary is kept fairly light so that the terminology doesn't bog down. By the end of this, readers will have a thorough understanding of what concrete is, how it's changed through-out history, and what uses it has.

I do see this one as great for homeschoolers, classrooms, or even those kids, who are interested in the world around them. I received a complimentary copy and found this was a nice way to bring across a rarely-seen topic.

[Sunday · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concrete is a composite building material.
Composite means made up of different parts.
The different parts that make up concrete are stone, sand, water, and cement.

On the topic of concrete, Theule and Light hit the ground running. Theule's text is straightforward and easy to understand. Light's smart and humorous illustrations are what makes this book engaging for students, though. Yes, there's an illustration of a "wooden wheel crane" powered by humans walking but there are also speech bubbles for the people doing the walking: "We're ready for a break," says one. "More than ready," says the other. Light's illustrations push the reader to engage in beyond-the-text thinking, revealing the complexity of building with concrete including its impact on the humans involved.

One wish: For some readers, the illustrations on tension and compression might not be as clear as they could be. These concepts are part of a central idea that emerges later in the book and might be worthy of discussion during a reading conference.

BOOK TALK: Read aloud the first three pages including the speech bubbles. Then leave in the classroom library as part of a text set. Funny - the last book I reviewed was Building Zaha: The Story of Architect Zaha Hadid by Tentler-Krylov. One of Hadid's buildings is highlighted in Theule and Light's book. LOVE THIS GROWING TEXT SET!!!

[Laura Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot say I was super excited to read a book entitled, Concrete From the Ground Up. However, I am a huge Steve Light fan. He has illustrated some of the coolest books I have ever seen. His latest work does not disappoint! Concrete is phenomenal! The author manages to make this title interesting and fun. An incredible amount of building and architecture history is provided in this 48 page read. Some children might aspire to be engineers after reading Concrete: From the Ground Up. A must have for schools, libraries and personal collections!

[Susie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so happy to see that early on the book explained the difference between "cement" and "concrete." Now if only copy editors would stop misusing "cement." This book seemed to have a bit of a disjointed vibe; the type was often much smaller than it needed to be, and some of the fonts seemed odd compared to the illustrations. I ran this book by my dad, since he was the executive director of the Indiana Concrete Council; I was even an employee at one point. At some points, this book seemed a bit drab to me, but perhaps the author felt the same way about concrete.

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, when someone shared with me that there was a great picture book about concrete I thought, "yeah, ok." Luckily I trusted the recommendation because the book really was fascinating and I can see how it can be used in classrooms. The first uses of course are history or science. But I can also see it being used as a mentor text for genius hour. The students think of something that interests them and then do a deep dive into a subject that others might not find interesting until it is shared. I tip my hat to the author and illustrator!

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as an adult reader for the AR Diamond Book Award. It really reads more like a middle grade book, even though it is marketed as a 1st-5th grade book. I think it would be more appropriate to be placed on the Charlie May Simon Award Committee list. Overall, it has tons of information related to cool structures across the world that were built using concrete and it even details the early stages of perfecting concrete.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything a non-fiction picture book should be! Utterly engaging, with lots of details, a little humor and interesting illustrations that clearly illustrate concepts discussed. Includes extensive Bibliography, too. My dad was an architect and general contractor and I grew up around construction sites so learning the history of concrete was especially interesting to me. However, even if you have no interest in the subject, I think the book will draw you in. Highly recommended!

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture-book-format non-fiction book will work best for slightly-older kids who still want an adult to read aloud to them.

It succinctly covers the history and science of concrete, in accurate, lively drawings that include some people (in cartoon-like style) from most of the locales and periods described.

Nicely done.

[Clarissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice kids book about concrete construction. it is well done and I like the design and words.
BUT I delete one star because in two place, it states that the concrete "dries" instead of "hardened".

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A history of a most reliable building material. The drawings were great, but the text placement was confusing. Did you know that concrete and cement were two different things?

Read for Librarian Book Group.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells the transformative invention of concrete and how it's been used in the past and present. I appreciate the inclusion of the difference between it and cement. For kids who like construction and also like to know how things work.

[Kristin Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can't remember why I put this on my want to read list, but this is a non-intimidating middle grade non-fiction book that teaches quite a bit of history along with the science of concrete (compressive strength vs. tensile strength and more).

[Victoria Whipple · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the history, science, and use of concrete throughout history. Expositional text is supplemented by speech bubbles of people old and young who are shown with varying skin tones. Bibliography. Gr. 2-6

[Connie T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting, illustrated history of our use of concrete.

Did you know Gobekli Tepe's construction includes a concrete-like floor? Dating to around 9600 BCE, it's the first of its kind and predates the wheel by thousands of years!

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not really care for the art, even though I really liked the cover art. The writing was a bit too bland and it was more just reading fact after fact.

[Shannon McLean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've decided that picture books are an oft-overlooked resource for learning new things. This book was fascinating and fun!
(Who knew concrete and cement are two different things? I didn't!)

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cool look at this standard building material from ancient times to present day. It's laid out well with text in easy to manage doses. Cool illustrations too.

[Kris Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reminds me of David McCauley books! From back in the day

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for this very informative book about concrete

[SOUP CHAMP · Rating 5 out of 5]

CEMENT

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laugh-out-loud nonfiction geared toward a young audience.