Building with Dad

by Carol Nevius, Bill Thomson (Illustrator)

Dad's helping to build a new school, and he takes his son to watch its progress. They see lots of machines at work: a dump truck, a backhoe, an earthmover, a giant grader, a steamroller, a cement mixer, a crane, and more. Finally, the school is finished--just in time for the first day. Bill Thomson's exquisite illustrations, rendered in acrylic paint and colored pencils, are delivered in a double-spread vertical format, which, when the book is turned sideways, brings this building experience to life with unprecedented dramatic perspective.

Genres: Picture Books, Construction, Childrens, Family, Transport, School, Storytime

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2006

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big machines, little boy

My youngest son, who is now grown, would have loved this book. He loved trucks and cars and any kind of big machinery. I bought this book to read to my twin grandchildren as they get a little older.

I worked in the construction field for a good part of my career and I love this book. Now, I am reading this on my Kindle and I know that the hard copy of the book is laid out in vertical format, so that's one thing I miss on the Kindle.

The illustrations are superb - for both the machines and the people. Colorful, realistic, easy to see.

I liked the rhyming story but on the Kindle the letters are very small and difficult to make out sometimes. Also, the letters sometimes don't contrast with the background as much as they could and they are hard to see.

I love that the mechanic is a woman.

I know the boy wore a hard hat and also a harness but a few words about safety on a construction site would have been great.

All in all, though, this is one of my favorite "building/construction" books that I've seen for small children.

[Shari Guertin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smart reading

My son loves this book. The illustrations are very realistic and contribute to the rhythm of the story in a "big" way. I would love to see more books from this author.

[Meaghan Ball · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book won the Colorin Colorado Award. This story was about a little boy who went to work with his dad and got to experience what it was like to work in construction. This story displayed both print content and visual style. The print content displayed a playful, rhyming ton throughout the story. By doing this, the author made the story more interesting and fun for children to read and follow along. The visual style was very interesting. The book opened up long ways instead of side to side. By doing this, it gave the readers a perspective of how big things were and how small things look from high above. The pictures are very realistic and almost look as though they were taken with a camera. Teachers may utilize this in their book selection if they are teaching children about perspective or about rhyming.

[Kristen Crisp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun poetic book that uses rhyming schemes and photos of real events. It is a story about a father showing his son around a construction site. It would be suitable for young children from k to 3rd grade. This book is a Colorin Colorado choice.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite part of this book today was the way it opens up and down to be tall. The rhymes aren't bad, but it didn't hold the group's attention today. I think I'd use it again with a smaller (maybe all preschool) crew.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The son goes with the dad to the construction site where they are building the child's new school.

[Kelly Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book easy to rad to kids

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr Wigglesworth enjoyed it and I didn't dislike it. I'll read it again to him.

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

very cool, love the angles of the views ... creative and fun

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A boy goes to a construction site to help his dad build and describes the machinery and the processes. What could they be building?

[Abbigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute book about going to a construction site with Dad. Rhyming text and nice illustrations with cool perspectives (book opens vertically on the spine instead of horizontally).

[Joey Gaudino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting illustration style and angle

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

WD in WI

[Rosa Cline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Illustrations in this book look almost like real photographs as it follows a little boy and his Daddy as they build the school back after a Hurricane took out the old one. The story tells how each vehicle does what job but in a story format. My adult special needs son enjoyed this story and it caught and kept his attention from the beginning to the end.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title intrigued me, and so did the cover art at the library today. While I thoroughly enjoyed the rhythm and rhyme of this book along with the descriptive and realistic narration of large building construction, the major flaw with this book was the fact that it was building a government school. This child learns more life skills by going to work with dad than being shuttled around in the big yellow buses to this new monstrous building that "schools" him. It praised going to school and etc.

I did enjoy the ending where the boy says he wants to grow up to be just like his dad and have a helper. There is some semblance of multi-generational thinking. If you can get past the mild propaganda about government education, yes this was a fun and unique book about building with wonderful trucks and construction vehicles. If they had built a private school, my gripes wouldn't even be here. But alas, if only they had built a different building I would have loved this book.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations in this are amazing...As this book is read vertically rather than the typical horizontally, the illustrations really take center stage. The story is of a little boy who goes to the construction site of his new school that his dad is helping to build. The story is told in rhyme. The story is okay. I would imagine that many boys, in particular, would love this book. My girls liked it...and we all really enjoyed the illustrations.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are amazing, and warrant 5 stars. The text, is, well, in rhyme. Why must people rhyme? It's not necessary, and it certainly isn't necessary for this beautiful book. Dr. Seuss, sure. Night before Christmas, fine. Working on a construction site with Dad? Why, why, why? Text, two stars. Combo, 3.

[Renée · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible illustrations make this book a worthwhile read even if the it is a bit heavy on the stereotyping of dad as builder... in the end they build the child's school, so that is a pretty neat thing to be building with dad... and really, the illustrations are so good, you will want to hang them on your child's bedroom wall...

[Mariah Aivazis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Building with Dad is a really cute story for young children. Throughout the book, there are rhymes when the dad and the little boy are building up a school after a hurricane had taken place. The illustrations are eye-catching and young boys will love this story because it has to deal with cars and trucks. It’s a great read from beginning to end.

[Jen Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This picture book is amazing -- two page vertical spreads of a boy visiting a construction site with his dad. The realistic watercolor illustrations are fantastic, and the format of the book makes it memorable.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for a construction storytime! Double page vertical format with dramatic perspective and realistic watercolor that lets you feel the scale of the machines as a boy visits his dad's worksite as they build his school.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it interesting that the pages opened up instead of out. Cole had me read this book three times the first day we got it. I've read it at least a dozen since then. It is told as a rythme which somewhat gets on my nerves...I feel like the narrator of the Grinch.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Literacy skills:

Print awareness-this book is read in a different way than most books. Great starting point for asking kids about how a book is usually read and how this one is a little different.

Vocabulary-construction vocabulary throughout (foundation, girders, mortar, welding)

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh boy, was this a hit, and why wouldn't it be? Big construction equipment, neat little rhyme and a dad hanging with his son at a construction site. Great big illustrations although some might not like that the book is held vertical instead of horizontal.

[Lizzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young readers in love with all things mechanical will be in awe of thess grand illustrations. The horizontal style and almost 3-D like perspective would make a kid feel up close and personal with these powerful machines. I would have liked a little better text and voice to match this great art.

[Mary Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this father-and-son construction story, a young boy describes his father’s work building a new school. Thomson’s dynamic paintings instantly draw children in with their dramatic perspectives, making young readers feel as if they are right there watching the giant machines get to work.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just LOVE Bill Thomson's illustrations: multiple perspectives and extreme close-ups are just so fascinating throughout the book. A boy and his father are on a construction site that is building a new school. This should be high interest for those young students who love big machines.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Usually, Nevius' rote text doesn't offer Thomson much of a springboard for his illustrations, but this one has enough of an emotional basis that he can experiment with textures and dynamic vertical compositions.

[jenna Hudrlik · Rating 4 out of 5]

really cool pictures - big and realistic

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to my 2nd graders. They loved the pictures. They could not believe that they were not photographs.