2013, Juvenile Fiction
WISE Score
A family of four moves into a tiny trailer to build their own house from the footings to the roof over the course of several seasons.
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This is the antidote to 'instant gratification' culture. It is a gorgeous, detailed look at what it actually takes to make a home—the mud, the cold, the heavy lifting, and the long wait.
If you have a kid who stops to watch every backhoe and cement mixer on the street, this book is non-negotiable. It respects their intelligence by using real terms and showing the actual work involved in construction.
Perfect for ages 3 to 8. Toddlers will love the big trucks and tools, while older kids will actually grasp the sequencing and the grit required to finish a project this big.
It is a masterclass in modeling family cooperation and persistence. The family lives in a small trailer while working together through seasons and weather to finish their home.
The book invites kids to look at an empty lot or a pile of lumber and see a finished home. It sparks curiosity about how the physical world is put together.
Completely safe. It's a gentle, realistic depiction of construction and family life.
Highly educational regarding the actual steps of construction (foundations, framing, plumbing) without feeling like a dry textbook. It builds vocabulary and spatial awareness.
Most kids' books about construction focus on the 'beep-beep' of the trucks and the 'crash' of the wrecking ball. Building Our House is different because it focuses on the time. The story spans a year and a half, and you feel the change of seasons in the illustrations. It teaches kids that big, meaningful things aren't just bought or 'spawned' like in a video game—they are built, brick by brick, through seasons of effort.
The author, Jonathan Bean, based this on his own childhood, and that authenticity shines through. You see the blueprints, the foundation forms, and the way a timber frame actually fits together. It's the kind of book that builds language comprehension strands of literacy by introducing specific, technical vocabulary in a way that makes sense through the context of the art.
One of the best parts of the book is the 'roof-raising' party. It's a great way to show kids that even though the family was doing the work themselves, they still needed their community to show up when the job got too big for two adults. It’s a quiet, powerful nod to the idea that self-reliance and community support go hand-in-hand.
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