Block Building For Children: Making Buildings Of The World With The Ultimate Construction Toy

ReviewBlock Building for Children presents a series of projects for children of all levels of expertise, beginning with abstract patterns, rows, and towers and progressing to stepbystep instructions for eighteen exciting projects, including a bridge, boat dock, airport, shopping mall, skyscraper, castle, Greek temple, and even a Toy Store City, a City of the Future, and The Emerald City of Oz. Block Building for Children can be used by nineyearolds and up by themselves; for those undernine, parents will have to help a bit. Block Building for Children is a great way for kids and parents to play together, and of course is also perfect for budding young architects. Each project is accompanied by detailed plans, photographs and a stunning line drawing to fire the imagination, and the text for each project puts it in its historical context. Midwest Book ReviewProduct DescriptionFrom Publishers WeeklyAnything but plain, the wooden block is the basis for everything from geometric patterns to a cathedral in Block Building for Children by Lester Walker, preface by Witold Rybczynski. Illustrated with 67 blackandwhite photographs and 125 line drawings, this guide helps wouldbe architects construct everything from a Greek temple to the Emerald City of Oz (Overlook, $22.95, 167p, ages 9up ISBN 0879516097 Nov.).Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.From School Library JournalGrade 26?Detailed instructions for 18 blockbuilding projects, including a boat dock, a farm, a mosque, a city of the future, and the Emerald City of Oz. The constructions require 11 specific sizes and shapes of wooden blocks (these can be ordered from the publisher, but a short list of catalog and toystore sources is offered in the appendix). A few of the projects require extra pieces (accessory wood turnings, dowels, etc.) not on the main list. A clear table shows drawings and dimensions of the blocks, and each is numbered. When assembling the scenes, builders must refer to the numbers on the diagrams in order to use the correct blocks; it's all fairly easy to follow. Instructions begin with basic building techniques (towers, beams, etc.), and then move on to the main projects. Tips and more specific instructions clarify some of the steps. Fairly dull blackandwhite photos show children (mostly boys) in the process of assembling. In his description of how to build each scene, the author weaves in historical background and simple engineering details, injecting some welcome imaginative spirit. If youngsters have the right blocks (and enough of them) and a bit of patience, they should be able to manage most of the projects. They are simpler than those in Sam Bingham's The Ultimate Wood Block Book (Sterling, 1988; o.p.), which includes a greater number of more varied constructions.?Steven Engelfried, West Linn Public Library, ORCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.About the AuthorLester Walker is an awardwinning architect and author of numerous books including American Shelter, Tiny Houses, and Block Building for Children. He lives in Woodstock, New York, where his architectural practice is based.