The Homes We Build: A World of Houses and Habitats

Anne Jonas and Lou Rhin. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2020.

This non-fiction picture book directly relates the different types of dwellings in the world with their climate. The book uses many useful examples and illustrations, with which we can see a vast difference between the houses of various regions of the world. For example, it shows houses perched on the mountainside, floating villages, and underground cities. As the book mentions, dwellings were first built with materials that people could easily find where they lived. The houses responded directly to the conditions imposed by their territory and climate, and using natural materials. Moreover, it shows how the constructions specific to their climate were often made thanks to ancestral knowledge. The book is full of relevant themes, such as urban densification, the use of natural and local materials, and the importance of adapting buildings to their climate and their environment.

If You Lived Here: Houses of the World

Giles Laroche. New York: HMH Books for Young Readers, 2011.

This non-fiction picture book offers readers a glimpse into homes from all over the world. It depicts a variety of housing types such as adobe clay homes, houses on stilts, Venetian homes with water canals, and floating houses. Every illustration of the different dwellings is accompanied with interesting facts about the house’s structure, materials, unusual designs features, access points and circulation. The book lets the reader imagine what it would be like to live in homes which might be vastly different from theirs. The text also reveals the rationale behind different housing designs: for example, one dwelling is camouflaged to hide inhabitants from their enemies, another takes into account a travelling community’s needs by making homes that are portable and built from cheap, accessible materials.

Buried Sunlight: How Fossil Fuels Have Changed the Earth

Penny Chrisholm and Molly Bang. New York: Blue Sky Press, 2018.

This informational title provides a broad introduction to the cycle of fossil-fuel production, and details the origins of coal, oil and gas. Furthermore, it addresses the many challenges fossil-fuel consumption creates, such as the disturbed carbon balance of the planet’s atmosphere and hydrosphere.

These sophisticated processes are explained using language that is vibrant and compelling, presenting complex concepts that young people must know to understand environmental problems. Colorful illustrations clearly depict the challenges created by our fast consumption of fossil fuel. The book can engender general environmental awareness among young readers and can also encourage deeper discussion among older students about each topic.

Green City: How One Community Survived a Tornado and Rebuilt for a Sustainable Future

Allan Drummond. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2016.

This non-fiction book is an excellent introduction to the topic of climate change and concepts of sustainable building practices. The word choices convey complex subjects in a way that is age-appropriate and understandable for children. Sidebars on most pages provide further information on key elements of green construction and sustainable building practices.

The work also emphasized the importance of collaboration between engineers, planner, architects, contractors and the community in the rebuilding of a town, giving the audience first exposure to the process of building in general. This informative book could serve as a general introduction to the concept of green building and invite the audience to further investigate into the topic.