This shapes book with a difference features 12 buildings from around the world. Each spread is devoted to one shape - both two- and three-dimensional shapes eg circle, square, rectangle, cube, pyramid and cylinder. Each building is illustrated in full colour with the geometric shape reproduced again on the page. This inventive and intriguing approach not only reinforces the learning of everyday shapes, but will inspire children to appreciate some of the world's great buildings.
Buildings featured are:
The Pantheon, Rome, Italy/ Pont du Gard, Nimes, France/ St Peters Piazza, Rome, Italy/ Beinecke Library, Yale University, Connecticut, USA/ Imperial Villa of Katsura, Kyoto, Japan/ The Parthenon, Athens, Greece/ Masjid-in shah Mosque, Isfahan, Iran/ The Gherkin, London, UK/ The Ka'Ba, Mecca, Saudi Arabia /Stonehenge, Salisbury Plain, UK/ Entrance to the Louvre Museum, Paris, France/ Hypostyle Hall, Temple of Amon, Karnak, Thebes, Egypt
The Pantheon, Rome, Italy
Pont du Gard, Nimes, France
St Peters Piazza, Rome, Italy
Beinecke Library, Yale University, Connecticut, USA
Imperial Villa of Katsura, Kyoto, Japan
The Parthenon, Athens, Greece
Masjid-in shah Mosque, Isfahan, Iran
The Gherkin, London, UK
The Ka'Ba, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Stonehenge, Salisbury Plain, UK
Entrance to the Louvre Museum, Paris, France
Hypostyle Hall, Temple of Amon, Karnak, Thebes, Egypt
The passion of the author for architecture shines through in this photo-illustrated text. Readers are encouraged to dwell on thought provoking questions after looking at the shapes, which could lead to sustained shared thinking… - Early Years Educator
The book has a worthy aim - to encourage children to look at buildings with an inquisitive and architectural mind. This book is best read with an adult to guide younger readers through the issues raised (and to help identify the shapes in the pictures) - or as a starting-point for class discussions with KS1 groups. - www.writeaway.org.uk
The photographs and paintings are very attractive, and bring abstract shapes to life in a quite startling way. They are dramatically beautiful, and will raise the question not only about why they are beautiful, but why that particular shape is functionally so important. - School Librarian
Circle
This roof has a large round opening in the top. You can see the light streaming in and making a huge pale circle on the wall. How would it feel to walk about in this building?
Semi-circle
Every arch on this bridge is a semi-circle. By joining up these arches, the builders made a strong bridge to cross the river. How long do you think it would take to walk across this bridge?
Oval
The sides of this oval piazza look like huge arms looking after the people inside it.
Why do you think the piazza was built like this?
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