The Story of Buildings: From the Pyramids to the Sydney Opera House and Beyond

Patrick Dillon

BookEarly ChildhoodElementaryMiddle SchoolArchitect

About

Aspiring architects will be in their element! Explore this illustrated narrative history of buildings for young readers, an amazing construction in itself.

We spend most of our lives in buildings. We make our homes in them. We go to school in them. We work in them. But why and how did people start making buildings? How did they learn to make them stronger, bigger, and more comfortable? Why did they start to decorate them in different ways? From the pyramid erected so that an Egyptian pharaoh would last forever to the dramatic, machine-like Pompidou Center designed by two young architects, Patrick Dillon’s stories of remarkable buildings — and the remarkable people who made them — celebrates the ingenuity of human creation. Stephen Biesty’s extraordinarily detailed illustrations take us inside famous buildings throughout history and demonstrate just how these marvelous structures fit together.

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Why it’s great

This beautifully illustrated tour of landmark structures lets children travel through time—from pyramids to the Sydney Opera House—without leaving the couch. Its conversational tone turns architectural history into an adventure, sparking curiosity about how people solve design challenges in every era. Cut-away drawings invite young readers to peek inside famous buildings, encouraging them to imagine creating their own. Ideal for broad age ranges, older kids can read independently while younger ones enjoy it as a read-aloud.