Our Building

This book is beautiful! The art style is stunning, the story is magical, I love everything.

Our Building is a story about the power of imagination, full os children's adventures inside and outside their homes and also, about community. I think it'll definitely appeal to children who like adventure stories.

A magical book! A modern day fairytale of sorts.

I love the beautiful illustrations and the magic as the children leave their building and venture into the trees of the forest. They’re in searching of the old singing tree they see from the building.

They discover ancient magical creatures in the realm under the old tree, and they meet the old tree himself. He gifts them a stone that has a hole through the middle. Through it they see things as they are.

The magic of the forest is just a green lovely forest, and nothing more. But their building has a magic all its own. They didn’t know and the adults have forgotten how special it truly is.

A good reminder along the lines of “the grass is always greener on the other side”. In this case, they realize the beauty of their neighbors and what truly makes their building special.

This beautifully presented work of poetry is likely to draw in both adults and children alike.

The rich adventure of the three children is captured lyrically through the prose, and is a delight to read out loud. While the language might be lost on some children, the illustrations are very accessible, and provide in depth narration as well.

The messaging about shifting perspective and the value of community is wonderful to share with children, and the diverse representation and experiences adds wonderful depth to the story. These messages are reinforced through the rich illustrations on each page which are a joy to explore.

Thank you Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

Beautiful. The simplicity yet depth of the words is outstanding, a true master of language. Meaningful, yet accessible on many levels. The illustrations, starting at grey with little highlights of colour, and finishing a glorious riot add another layer to this beautiful book. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect.

This ebook was made available for me to read and review by Joseph Coelho, Quarto Publishing Group, and NetGalley.

This inviting picture book features enchanting illustrations sure to draw your little one right into this tale. This is a magical story about young children exploring the high rise apartment building they live in when they discover a magical place. This has multicultural representation for multiple cultures adding to the experience. The cute story and accompanying animated illustrations delighted even my youngest grandchild at just 2 and half years old.

Thank you to Joseph Coelho, Quarto Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ebook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

This is a beautiful book which I previously encountered as 'Our Tower'.
I was delighted to read it again to marvel at the descriptive skill of Joseph Coelho as he captures perfectly the perspective of children living in a tower block yet craving an adventure. Filled with gorgeous illustrations, this is a book for adults and children to enjoy together over and over again.

Our Building by Joseph Coelho. Illustrated by Richard Johnson.
Frances Lincoln/Quatro
2024
5.0 stars
#NetGalley #OurBuilding
Thanks to Net Galley and Quatro for sending this ARC for review.
An amazing story, that touches the heart, a beautiful depth, told in a fable like style. Joseph Coelho is master of storytelling. The art is incredible. Richard Johnson illustrations are soft, pastel colors. A balance of color, matching the mood of the story adds a nice depth and really holds the eye. This book charmed me and touched my heart. A children's fiction must read.

A beautifully presented poem about finding adventure and magic. The illustrations and text combined are magical and I think 🤔 this would work well with younger and older readers.
Will definitely be purchasing a physical copy.

This book is so magical. The colors are used so wisely that they quickly set the mood from sad to joy and from loneliness to community spirit. Illustrated with a hint of magic realism shows us a great and valuable lesson, we can make an effort to see things with other eyes, be kinder and willing to help others, communicate, and be part of the community, bringing life, joy, and sunshine to the building and each others lives. A creative way to approach how it can be to live in a big busy city, in an apartment. Very inclusive.

Beautiful art and design of the pages.

Thank you, Netgalley and publisher for this e-arc.

Ho amato questo libro per bambini che ci ricorda come la natura sia un punto fondamentale per non dimenticare da dove veniamo e dove vogliamo andare ma soprattutto quando ci riempiamo della bellezza della natura riusciamo a portarcela non solo nel cuore ma anche nella nostra vita di tutti i giorni.Ho amato anche i disegni ma anche il cambiamento dei colori dall inizio alla fine della storia

I received an ARC of this children's book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful book. The pictures have a beautiful, dream-like appearance. And I loved the text of the book. It's a beautiful book!

This is a really fun and cute read. The illustrations are very whimsical and magical. It reminds me of a combination of Narnia and Stranger Things, but for children, and I think it's so awesome!

I love the inclusivity and seeing different ethnicities; it gave the book so much more depth.

With the use of the building as a physical space and a metaphor, this book is the tale of community, living together, the similarities in differences, friendship and the places with cultural richness.

Each page is a portal to a magical or realistic scene, and the representation is inclusive. I am sure my child grasped the idea behind the conditions and circumstances of these characters living happily and in peace. A great and subtle lesson.

This is a fantastic children’s book. The best thing about this story is its vocabulary. It challenges children to learn new words and uses them in such a way that they are easy for teachers to explain. The discussion surrounding community is fantastic and the diversity within the text commendable. This book would be particularly useful in EYFS- Key stage 1 in which children are still learning about other peoples cultures and lives. I thought of about fifty lesson ideas for this book just after the first read- a sign of a truly inspiring text.

This is an absolutely gorgeous picture book, with each page washed in color and emotion. The small details on windowsills and beneath leaves make for an engaging game of I spy while the lightly rhyming text turns an everyday building into a fantasy world of magic and connection. While it will appeal to young children and their caregivers, this picture book is also ideal for an elementary or even middle grade child who enjoys fantasy and is looking for a quick read or a book to share with a younger sibling. Perfect for any library, though libraries serving urban communities might want to purchase multiple copies as they are sure to be in demand. Thanks to NetGalley for access to this beautiful book.

This magical adventure takes readers into the imaginations of kids seeking an escape from their boring old building. -- But as the story unfolds they discover something that we all need to be reminded of sometimes -- the very thing we seek can be found right where we are if we look for them with a different perspective and a little imagination. Great storytelling and beautiful artwork. Look forward to sharing this one!

Wow. Just wow. "Our Building" is a beautiful story of imagination and childhood and remembering all the good small things. It is beautifully done. The flow of the words is engaging as are the beautiful illustrations.

I can't wait to use this book when it is released. It will be great for imagination and magical realism.

This story is full of whimsy and imagination from the poetic prose and the dreamlike illustrations. Because of the deeper analogies and abstract concepts expressed in this book, we would recommend it be used for ages 7-10 to spark conversations about the relationships between nature and man-made structures, between quieter spaces and bustling areas, and between diverse people from different backgrounds and ages. Such a lovely way for kids to have a visual representation of such important topics!

I requested this, not realising that it was Our Tower, with a new title for the US edition. I didn't get to review the UK version though so am happy to be able to do this here. This is such a lovely book. My favourite thing about it is, perhaps a bit oddly, the layout of the images. I love how they move across the page with the children as they go off on their adventure. The story does take a bit of an unexpected, almost magical turn but this feels far more ancient folklore-y and it just works.

This is a lovely story about seeing beauty in unexpected places and how sometimes, a change in perspective can transform everything.

This book is great for anyone who has ever lived in an apartment. The illustrations are full of life and color! The story takes you on a magical journey of mindset and imagination! I will definitely be reading this one to my class!

This book is gorgeously illustrated! I seriously cannot talk about this art enough, it is so pretty. I love the magical adventure and imagination of the kids too.