First Shapes in Buildings - Tapa dura

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)

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