We publish a selection of 12 children's books in English, thematically related to architecture. Most of them have not been published in Russian, and whether it is planned is a big question. Therefore, one thing remains: enjoy the originals.
At the time of publication, all editions are in stock in the Amazon store.
Baby's First Eames: From Art Deco to Zaha Hadid
Downtown Bookworks, 2018
Julie Merberg
/ Baby's First Eames: From Art Deco to Zaha HadidJulie Merberg
Thanks to this alphabet, kids will get an idea of some of the architectural styles, get acquainted with the works of Zaha Hadid, Isamu Noguchi, Frank Gehry, the Eames couple and other masters of the 20th century. “You can't be too young to learn important things,” one of the readers is sure; it is likely to be supported by other parents who are passionate about the architecture, design and development of their children. Among other advantages noted by the owners of the "primer" is the quality of illustrations and paper.
"Three Little Pigs: An Architectural History"
Stephen Guarnaccia
Harry N. Abrams, 2010
/ The Three Little Pigs: An Architectural TaleSteven guarnaccia
An architectural adaptation of a world famous fairy tale: Frank Gehry, Philip Johnson and Frank Lloyd Wright became the prototypes of the main characters in Stephen Guarnacci's book. Leaving their ancestral home (extremely reminiscent of the exemplary Gamble House of Charles and Henry Greens), each of the three pigs set about building their own. Pig Frank Gehry builds a cottage from scattered pieces and scraps of building materials (a reference to Gehry's house in Santa Monica), Philip Johnson settles in a glass house, and Frank Lloyd Wright builds a stone one, in which the famous "House over the Falls" is clearly guessed. A small spoiler: it is he who will withstand the onslaught of a bully wolf.
"Roberto, the insect architect"
Nina Laden
Chronicle Books, 2000
/ Roberto, The Insect ArchitectNina laden
The story is about the ambitious termite Roberto, who prefers to build houses, rather than gnaw them. To fulfill his dream and become a great architect, Roberto leaves for the Bug City - where the Empire State Building is adjacent to the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Cable Car, and the most famous architects of our time are employers. According to the law of the genre, the young termite is initially haunted by failures: the heads of the bureau - among them Hank Floyd Mayt (mite) and Fleece van der Rohe (flea - flea) - one after another refuse to hire him. But everything ends well: Roberto gets his portion of fame, gets his own workshop and becomes an example for young creative termites. Collage illustrations deserve special attention. The link is a short film released in 2005 based on this book.
"Iggy Peck, Architect"
Andrea Beaty
Abrams Books, 2007
/ Iggy Peck, ArchitectAndrea Beaty
Little boy Iggy Peck has one passion: architecture. Iggy Peck builds chapels and churches from peaches and apples, towers from dirty diapers, from pancakes he makes an arch. And one day he installed a replica of the Sphinx on the front lawn. Parents do not understand his hobbies, but they do not hinder him either. However, a teacher named Miss Leela Greer has a very different attitude: she forbids Iggy Peck even to talk about architecture. The reason for her dislike for buildings, especially high-rise buildings, lies in her childhood trauma. However, Miss Greer changes her attitude to architecture - after Iggy Peck saves her class from imminent death with the help of a bridge he built with his own hands. The book was published in Russian in 2017 by the publishing house "Career-Press" under the name "Hector-Architect".
The video below reads the English version of this book aloud.
"Young Frank, Architect"
Frank Viva
Harry N. Abrams, 2013
/ Young Frank, ArchitectFrank viva
Young Frank lives with his grandfather, Old Frank; they are both architects. Young Frank is extremely passionate about the creative process: he builds a "dancing" skyscraper from his grandfather's books, draws a city plan on a roll of wallpaper, makes a chair from toilet paper. But Old Frank is convinced that a "crooked" skyscraper is nonsense, cities are formed "naturally" for several hundred years and cannot be drawn entirely on paper, and in general - an architect should not be engaged in furniture or anything other than buildings … To resolve this conflict, the grandfather and grandson go to the New York Museum of Modern Art - after all, there are exhibited works of world famous architects. It is at MoMA that Frank Jr. and Frank Sr. take steps towards reconciliation.
The book, by the way, was commissioned by MoMA, the museum even released a trailer for it.
"Architecture through the eyes of doves"
Stella Garney
Phaidon Press, 2013
/ Architecture According to PigeonsStella gurney
Alas, among urbanists and architecture lovers, pigeons do not have the best reputation; some even call feathered "flying rats". Speck, a very erudite and enthusiastic pigeon, volunteered to reconcile people and birds. He goes on a trip around the world and, from a bird's eye view, conducts a tour of 40 of the world's most famous landmarks, including the Taj Mahal, the Sydney Opera House, and the Golden Gate Bridge. The witty Speck comes up with funny nicknames for the buildings: for example, he calls the Great Wall of China "The Great Worm", and Canterbury Cathedral - "A miracle from a mishmash."
ArchiTech
Dominic Erhard
Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 2017
/ ArchiTekDominique Ehrhard
This book contains 95 cardboard parts for assembling 3D building models. The designer comes with an instruction booklet with 20 ideas for what you can build from it: castles, arches, apartment buildings and fantasy structures. “The kit allows young architects to both become familiar with traditional design rules and break them,” says the annotation. Suitable for children from 7 years old. The book has been translated into many languages, here you can flip through the French version.
"Built to Conscience"
David Macaulay
HMH Books, 2010
/ Built to LastDavid Macaulay
This 272-page volume brings together three classic books by the American writer and illustrator: Castle (1977), Cathedral (1973) and Mosque (2003). With the help of drawings and text, David Macaulay tells (and shows) how the world's most famous structures were created and how they managed to stand for so long. The book is intended for schoolchildren from 10 years old, but many parents admit that they read it even to kids - instead of bedtime stories. David Macaulay has received numerous awards for his work, including from the American Institute of Architects; in 2006 he received a MacArthur Fellowship.
"The world is not a rectangle: a portrait of Zaha Hadid"
Jeanette Winter
Beach Lane Books, 2017
/ The World Is Not a Rectangle: A Portrait of Architect Zaha HadidJeanette winter
Mini-biography of Zaha Hadid in pictures with a minimum of text, praising hard work and perseverance. Best Children's Book of 2017 according to The Washington Post.
"Frank Lloyd Wright for Children: His Life and Ideas"
Kathleen Thorn-Thomsen
Chicago Review Press, 2014
/ Frank Lloyd Wright for Kids: His Life and IdeasKathleen Thorne-Thomsen
Another - rather detailed - biography, but for older children: an updated and expanded reprint of the 1994 book. In addition to describing life and work, the book contains a selection of practical exercises designed to bring the reader closer to the image of Frank Lloyd Wright. So, the author shares with the readers a recipe for oatmeal - it was her architect who preferred to eat for breakfast, instructions for creating an edible model of "Houses over a waterfall" from crackers and a Japanese kite, and other "exercises."
"Disassembled Items: Dismantling Instructions for Modern Life"
Todd McLellan
Thames & Hudson, 2013
/ Things Come Apart: A Teardown Manual for Modern LivingTodd mclellan
Photographer Todd McLellan captured various mechanisms and gadgets in disassembled form: a DSLR camera, a bicycle, an iPad, a grand piano, a typewriter, a Walkman cassette player. A total of 50 objects. Such "preparation", on the one hand, reveals the beauty of these things, on the other hand, it shows what they actually consist of and how they work.
Stephen Cani's Unrivaled Construction Book
Stephen Cani
Running Press, 2006
/ Steven Caney's Ultimate Building BookSteven caney
This children's encyclopedia of construction "weighing" 608 pages. In the first part, the author introduces the reader to the fundamental laws of architecture, talks about various types of buildings (from wigwams to skyscrapers) and helps to understand how these structures work. The second part presents more than a hundred "recipes" for creating completely different models and toys from budget materials such as pasta, scotch tape, boxes.
