Reviews for The ABC Book of American Homes

The average rating for The ABC Book of American Homes based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-10-05 00:00:00 Ivory Snow jr Title (italicize): The ABC Book of American Homes Author: Michael Shoulders Illustrator: Sarah Brannen Genre: ABC Book, Picture Book Theme(s): Homes, Multicultural, Languages, Dwellings Opening line/sentence (type directly from text): Americans call many places home. We live in deserts, underground, on water, and in trees. We make homes from plants, mud, metal, and even snow. Let's take a look at some of these homes from A to Z. Brief Book Summary (2-3 sentences in your own words): This Picture Book uses ABC's to gain insight to how people live differently across the United States. Each letter tells the story of how people live, where they live, and what they eat. It features different races, languages, and ways of life. Professional Recommendation/Review #1 (cut & paste, details below): Ashley Crider Children's Literature "In this book, Michael Shoulders uses an alphabetical approach to present different types of homes in America. The homes range from the unique Junk House to the presidential White House. Shoulders even pays attention to residences from America s past, such as the Kilborne Sears kit home of the 1920s and the frontier log cabin. As in nearly all abecendaries, the author presents a letter, introduces a concept that starts with that letter, and follows with a paragraph about the particulars. In this case, the corresponding words are the names of homes and the paragraphs detail the various architectural elements of the different habitats. The only exception is the letter Z, for which Shoulders neatly concludes that home is where the heart is. Sarah Brannen s quaint yet richly-detailed watercolor illustrations celebrate a diverse range of American homes, as well as the diversity of the people who inhabit those homes. The text offers readers new vocabulary words, such as neo eclectic, Quonset Hut, and even Xinfang, the Chinese word for brand new home. Although this book introduces children to a wide range of homes, Shoulders text is sometimes vague. For example, the letter U is for Unique Home, which seems much less creative and specific than some of the other incredible examples. (How about Frank Lloyd Wright s Usonian homes for this letter?) Despite this weakness, this book would be an excellent tool for sparking further exploration of diverse American living spaces. It is a great introduction to architecture." Recommendation/Review #2 (cut & paste, details below): Carolyn Phelan Booklist "This picture-book presentation looks at 26 American dwelling places, from the familiar (apartment, mobile home, farmhouse) to the regional (igloo, pueblo, Cajun cottage) to the unusual (earth sheltered home, tree house, houseboat). A few entries appear on double-page spreads, but typically a single-page is devoted to each type of house, with a paragraph of text accompanied by a nicely delineated and beautifully colored painting. Homes still in use today appear in full color, while those built mainly in the past are shown in gray or sepia tones. In nearly every case, the pictures include people (and often pets) inside or outside the building. Though the alphabet inevitably leads to an arbitrary, scattershot approach in presenting information, libraries should consider this book for their collections because of the variety of houses presented, the readability of the text, and the quality of the illustrations." Response to Two Professional Reviews (3-4 sentences in your own words) I agree with most of the points mentioned in these reviews. I think this is a great, diverse book. It features different cultures, races, and ways of life. I liked the first review's point on how some of the letters and descriptions are a little weak. Some of the homes and letters were a stretch, but I appreciate the author's effort to incorporate all letters. The illustrations are very detailed and it gives a great look into how homes are different and made with different materials. Evaluation of Literary Elements (3-4 sentences in your own words): The illustrations in this book are really awesome. They create a sense of texture and not only does the author draw the outsides of the home, but he draws the inside and what a room may look like. As far as the text, I think this book has such a rich vocabulary. There are so many potential lessons that could stem from this book. I'm sure children will be asking questions about the words throughout the story. Also, even though this is an ABC book, it is definitely for older, more advanced readers. The text is a little more challenging and physically smaller print. Consideration of Instructional Application (3-4 sentences in your own words): This book has so many potentials to other lessons, as I mentioned previously. There are so many different types of cultures mentioned. If a student has one of these cultures it creates a space to talk about their culture. You could even have their parents come in and talk about their culture and home. This book could be used to talk about different types of architecture. You could also have children draw their own homes and rooms.

Review # 2 was written on 2015-11-09 00:00:00 Jonathan Wilkerson In the books is shows that America is a country of diverse people who live in all types of homes. Homes that made and design of different materials such wood, metal, and glass. It also shows that not only these homes are made up of different things but can be located in different areas in America such as desert, or by the beach. The images are very helpful and plays off the text very well. Actually seeing what these how these homes look like and where they can be located at can open a child's mind to different ways of living in America. American houses have only one thing in common that it gives shelter and comfort to those who live in them, it don't matter the size, shape, or location, they are places to call home. Children will not only learn about a variety of houses but about the variety of people who inhabit them. A lot of children with a cultural background can relate to this books because it hit the points of all race and ethnicity in America today.