Animal Architects: Amazing Animals Who Build Their Homes

Gr 4 Up—This well-designed book introduces children to a range of insects, birds, and animals that all build their own homes. Each spread introduces an animal and describes how it builds its house. The visuals are mostly comprised of illustrations, though there are some photos as well. The featured animals come from all around the world and include the chimpanzee, hummingbird, and termite. One page of each spread contains a fold-out page that provides information on the size, habitat, and behavior of the animal. These foldouts also feature whimsical, architect-style graph paper with a listing of information grouped by labels such as "Project," "Architect," and "Date." The text is brief and easy to read, and the tone is gentle. The illustrations are quirky and stylized. The book was originally published in Spanish, but the English translation is effective.