A fact file at the end of the book includes all the species described with their range and habitat.Īt times, the language is a bit flowery for my taste, but it’s very possible that will be a selling point for younger readers. The illustrations are fabulous and pair nicely with the text which is detailed enough to provide stimulating details but not so much as to overwhelm young readers. Given the limited space, Knowles selected an interesting range of species to include in the book. And it’s so fun seeing polar bears, meerkats, and chimpanzees. Before reading this book, I am embarrassed to say I didn’t realized the range of nests birds built! The diverse homes of bees, spiders, and ants give insight into their behavior. The book includes three sections featuring birds, “minibeasts” (insects and reptiles), and mammals. Told from the perspective of the builders, Knowles takes the reader through the construction of nests, dams, mounds, tunnels, webs, and even houses. But homes don’t serve the same purpose for all some are meant to attract mates, others for comfort or storage, and even more to protect.

We Build Our Homes by Laura Knowles and illustrated by Chris Madden highlights what all animals on earth share: homes. Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. The pictures are wonderful too.Īll and all delightful, early biological book on animals and how they live. The text is very brief, this is a picture book, after all, but the important information about the why and what is included. Some very delightful examples, including bower birds, trapdoor spiders, and meerkats. They do so to raise their young, to attract mates, and to take shelter. This is a very impressive, informative, colorful picture book about the different types of homes that birds, insects, arachnids, and mammals build for themselves. From big beaver dams to tiny caddisfly cases, this beautifully illustrated picture book explores each animal’s incredible home and uncovers the reasons why they build.įeaturing 26 creatures from around the world, each amazing animal architect tells its own 'micro story' about its impressive architectural skills in this delightfully unique wildlife book.Īmong the amazing builders you’ll meet:Ovenbirds, who carry clumps of mud up into the trees to make their nestDarwin’s bark spiders, who build webs stretching out as far as three buses, end-to-endMoles, who use their spade-like paws to dig extensive networks of tunnels with nesting spaces and storerooms where they keep earthworms to snack on laterPolar bear mothers, who make their dens under the snow to stay in for five long months, nursing their cubs and eating nothing themselvesThrough lyrical text and entrancing edge-to-edge illustrations, admire the spectacular ingenuity of these animal architects.

It’s not only humans who can build incredible structures: around the world, mammals, birds, and insects can be found building incredible things.