Block Building for Children: Making Buildings of the World with the Ultimate Construction Toy

by Lester Walker

Book Overview

This book presents a series of projects for children of all levels of expertise, beginning with abstract patterns, rows, and towers and progressing to step-by-step instructions for 18 projects, including a bridge, boat dock, airport, shopping mall, skyscraper, castle, Greek temple, Toy Store City, City of the Future, and The Emerald City of Oz. The book proposes activities for children and parents to play together. Focus is upon developing an interest...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0879516097
• ISBN13: 9780879516093
• Release Date: October 1995
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
• Length: 168 Pages
• Weight: 1.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 8.8" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 7 to 11 years
• Grade Range: Grades 2 to 6

Customer Reviews

Excellent book

Great book for all aspects of block building from the beginner to the advanced. My son is almost 4, wish I would have got it a couple years ago.

Ultimate Block Construction Book

Genuine hardwood unit blocks are THE best toy for children. I have a fairly large set of them and my children, who range in age from 2-8, all sit down together (and separately) and play with them. The blocks become horse stables, airports, buildings, hotels, doll houses, highways, you name it!! And when other children come to our home, the blocks are invariably the first thing pulled out and played with. In general, I've held that open-ended toys like blocks should be open ended, that kids should be encouraged to make their own creations, not carefully recreate someone else's construction. I make an exception for Lester Walker's exceptional book. Some of his buildings are so realistic - his cathedral, roman temple, and skyscraper, for example. It is so interesting to see how he takes the basic block shapes to make such complex looking structures. Other projects in the book invite hours of play, such as his shopping mall, airport, and boat dock. I highly, highly recommend this book.

Kdg. teachers buy this book!

This is the best book on the topic of block building that I have ever seen. Black and white photographs of the beginnings and completions of interesting structures are shown, as well as carefully drawn plans for building each structure. While recommended for older children on this site, I highly recommend that it be included near every block corner in kindergarten classes. The children are able to visualize, then extend the ideas contained in the book, and have become much better block builders as a result. One very positive thing is that the book tends to attract girls to the block building area, where they carefully study the plans and cooperate to try to reproduce the structure. Since block building is known to nurture spatial sense, an important math skill, anything that encourages girls to participate in block building is highly recommended. (By the way, boys love it too!)