This was a really cute book that allowed us to explore animals and their habitats in our homeschool. We enjoyed reading it together.

"We Build Our Homes" is a wonderful picture book about animals' habitats. Twenty six animals along with their homes are being introduced here. I enjoy the beautiful illustrations, and is fun to read aloud because text is written in poetic prose. This is an educational non-fiction for children of all ages. Younger children could simply learn the names of the animals and homes associated with them whereas older children, if they're interested, could read the text for more information.

What a wonderful children book about nature. And I appreciate how the author reminds us the importance of loving and sharing this world we called "home" with many other animals which come in different forms and sizes.

This is an amazing book about Animal Architects, habitats and various reasons that animal homes are the way they are. This is a non-fiction book full of wonderful illustrations and information that should get children talking about different things. I read (or tried to read) this book to my five year old grandson and he was too young. There is a lot of text and he didn't want to listen to it all. He was fascinated with the illustrations and asked me questions that I answered based on the text. There are 26 different animals, including many you might not have heard of before. There are a lot of birds with amazing nests, then it moves on to insects and mammals.

We Build Our Homes is about animals' creativity and architectural skills that could be used in a classroom to discuss buildings, as well as habitats and animal environments. I could see this book in a late primary to early junior classroom. As an adult, I even learned some new things. A great addition to a public or school library. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

Interesting book on how animals, birds, reptiles and insects build their homes. Illustrations are beautiful. It has information on animals from all over the world. It also has a builder's fact file at the end

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC

We Build Our Homes is a great introduction to animal habitats featuring 26 different animals and the places they live. Each page tells us about an animal such as birds, ants, bears, moles, spiders, mice, bees and their homes. Beautifully illustrated and interesting information. Great for preschool or elementary age children, I even learned new information.

This is a beautiful picture book. The illustrations are rich, colorful, and they gave a life-like quality to my mental pictures that remind me of the effect of a good documentary.

The animals chosen for this book are animals from all over the world and I love that both small and large animals are represented.
I also love that, at the end of the book, a list with facts about each animal is included. This way anyone reading has the opportunity to do more research because they have access to the specific Latin name etc. but it is also a great tool to figure out which animals live near you.

In short: absolutely loved it and recommend it.

Birds that build. Amazing nests sometimes have to be made every year, sometimes they last for years. Fascinating facts told in an interesting way that will reach young readers.

This is a good informative book to read to kids. Chris Madden's illustrations are very detail oriented and googling any bird or tortoise will give the exact copy.

My only peeve is that more explanation could be given for e.g. how long does it take for the animals / birds / insects to create the nest. That would enhance the amount of labor and hard work involved. And that would be a good lesson. Also, reason why birds need to rebuild their nests each year, etc. And which country / place / region animals / insects / birds are from, etc.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. All the best to the writer and illustrator in future endeavors.

This is a delightful book which vividly portrays the lives of various creatures that make nests, dens or other homes. Birds start us off with weaverbirds, bowerbirds, swifts, then on to less attractive creatures like ants, termites, spiders, before meeting mammals and reptiles. I enjoyed every double-page spread drawing, which carries a few lines of writing and excellent detail. The writer has really thought about how to shrink information and still convey it well, while added details include the place where the animal lives, or its food, or its predators.

At the back we find a map of the world and each animal featured gets a little fact file so readers can place it on the map and get used to geography. This is a really colourful and attractive book which is excellent for young readers and anyone keen on fascinating nature.

I downloaded a copy from Net Galley. This is an unbiased review.

An interesting read to get kids both young and old interested in the building skills of animals on the planet including humans. Clearly explaining how creative and clever each one is. A great book to start discussion, teach avout the world, get an interest started in science and nature. It’s got great illustrations to show exactly what she’s describing and there’s a lot on offer to keep readers interested. A great read.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest review

This incredible non-fiction book will mesmerize both young and old readers. It highlights birds, insects, and mammals from around the world and profiles their extraordinary architectural skills. It truly is fascinating as all these scenarios are true.

Knowles chooses interesting unique subjects and their lifestyle is told from the animal's perspective. She includes interesting and educational details of how, where and why these animals build their homes. The illustrations are colourful and beautifully executed bringing their habitats to life.

The author includes twenty-six builders ( including humans ). She clearly explains how these innovative creatures create homes that meet their specific needs from resources that are available to them in the wild.


Among the amazing builders you’ll meet:

Ovenbirds, who carry clumps of mud up into the trees to make their nest
Darwin’s bark spiders, who build webs stretching out as far as three buses, end-to-end
Moles, who use their spade-like paws to dig extensive networks of tunnels with nesting spaces and storerooms where they keep earthworms to snack on later
Polar bear mothers, who make their dens under the snow to stay in for five long months, nursing their cubs and eating nothing themselves

The book also includes a useful map of the world, and a Builders’ Fact File. It is sure to encourage kids to delve deeper and find out more about the captivating animals that live in our world. It is perfect to include in a classroom or an elementary school library. Kids will love it. I highly recommend "We Build Our Homes".

I really like this book! It's a fascinating look at animal architects and the things they build. There are so many examples, including many animals you might not have heard of before, and each one is accompanied by beautiful pictures.

For a picture book, this is quite long and there's a fair amount of text. But kids who are interested in birds, insects, or other animals will find this a fascinating read. As an adult, I learned all sorts of things that I didn't know before. I especially liked learning about tailorbirds and harvest mice. The illustrations are really beautiful, and show off each marvelous animal creation in a clear and aesthetically pleasing way.

There seems to be some weirdness going on with the back cover of the ARC; the text looks like it's probably from the author and illustrator's previous collaboration, a book called We Travel So Far. I'm not sure how it ended up on the back cover of this book, but just be aware of that. We Build Our Homes is about animals' creativity and architectural skills; the other book appears to be about animal migration.

We Build Our Homes is a nonfiction book for young readers written by Laura Knowles and illustrated by Carla Madden. It’s not only humans who can build incredible structures: around the world, mammals, birds, and insects can be found building incredible things. From biggest beaver dams to tiniest caddisfly cases, this beautifully illustrated picture book explores each one and uncovers the reasons why they build. Each spread looks at a different animal, told as though from their viewpoint. The amazing animal architects featured include bower birds and weaver birds, gophers and beavers, termites, honey bees, and many more.

We Build Our Homes has a lovely balance between beautifully realistic artwork and text that is informative, accessable, and rhythmic. I liked learning a few new things about how particular animals build and care for their homes, and why they make some of the choices they do. I also like that creatures in the book are grouped by animal type; birds, insects, then larger animals. The birds and other builders include both well known home builders- such as bower birds and bees, but some creatures that are not always the first to come to mind. I also like that they included the world map and people in the book. I really think that the combination of lyrical text in understandable and accessible phrasing and delightful illustrations will capture the attention of many young readers, and the adults that might be sharing it with them. For those will a shorter attention span, or to break it up so the experience lasts longer, reading the book in sections (birds, insects, then reptiles and mammals) might make sense.

A lyrical look at animals, insects, and others (including humans) who build unique and often unusual homes for themselves and their families. Author Laura Knowles offers clear and fact-filled glimpses of 26 interesting builders from around the world, all clever architects who build to meet their exact needs, often using nearby resources. Chris Madden's lovely illustrations also help readers understand each creature's story while highlighting each home's coziness.

A wonderful look at the many habitats and animals that inhabit our great earth. Particularly useful for teacher's teaching animal units.

I really liked reading this book that will for sure captivate children who love nature and animals. They will learn how different animals build their home. The illustrations are really great and the text is well integrated on each page.

"Our name means “earth pig.” Can you guess why? We gouge out a burrow with our powerful claws, digging into the soil like spades. Each of us has a burrow of our own. We sleep through the day, down where it's cool and dark. When the baking sun sets, out we come to snack on termites. Though our burrows may not look like much to you, they can be big and have many entrance tunnels. Many other animals use them too. You might find a pangolin or a porcupine in one... perhapseven a leopard! You see, ours are very good burrows to borrow!"

What a fun and Educational read! Kids will love the way the information is written in a playful tone along with gorgeous pictures to study along the way.

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this great book!

This title introduces readers to the various houses in animal kingdom. It covers birds and animals from many ecosystems. Each animal/bird is introduced in their habitat and about their homes. A total of 25 species and humans are covered. Unusual homes like the paper wasp and polar bears are covered in this volume. This book will enrich every classroom and belongs to the shelf of every home where outdoor activities are encouraged.
Hand drawn color images and colors add to the curiosity of the readers. Engaging text and images.

Wonderful book that I can't wait to share with my grandkids. I kept thinking as I read it, that the author should have included some geography as part of the stories of all the wonderful and interesting creatures she tells about. Surprise! The last several pages are just that - detailed description of each creature and it's habitat. Fantastic!

I loved this book. It’s short and basic, (it is a picture book after all) and beautifully illustrated. A perfect way to provide both basic information to young children and ignite their interest in the natural world and the creatures that inhabit it.
Highly recommend.