If Animals Built Your House

Paired statements and bite-size facts take readers on an engaging journey through various animal domiciles, explaining their construction and illuminating their distinguishing features: “If a tree squirrel built your house, no one could ever sneak up on you./ Your house might look like just a jumble of leaves, but it’s really a tightly woven, waterproof ball.” Evans’s realistic, gently humorous illustrations, which combine realistic detail with close-up cross-sections, have something of the spirit of the Magic School Bus series. They feature a diverse group of hard-hatted children who shrink down in scale to explore a squirrel drey and a beehive, dive after beavers and red grouper, and snooze in bear dens. The closing spread shows children and animals collaborating to build various human dwellings—including a tipi—and asks, “So, what kind of house would YOU build?” Back matter includes animal photos and enrichment suggestions for caretakers and teachers. Ages 4–8. [em](Dec.) [/em]