The House That George Built

June 11, 2012
Slade (Climbing Lincoln's Steps) delivers a historical riff on "The House That Jack Built" with this tale of how George Washington oversaw the construction of what would come to be called the White House: "This is the lot,/ that grand, â¨scenic spot,/ for the President's House that George built." On most of the right-hand pages, the cumulative verse grows longer, while prose sections at left offer facts about materials, workers, and the house's overall progress as it moves from blueprint to bricks-and-mortar reality; for instance, when the stone supply fell short, "George changed the house plan from three stories to two." In airy watercolor-and-ink illustrations, Bond (In the Belly of an Ox) depicts the stages of construction and captures details of the era's building methods and styles of dress; John and Abigail Adams, the building's first residents, are shown looking around nervously upon moving in ("the plaster walls were still wet, and the winding staircase had only a few steps"). A foreword, author's note, and additional White House facts supply even more details and context to this focused and well-executed project. Ages 6â9.

July 1, 2012

Gr 1-3-Following the framework of "This Is the House That Jack Built," this cumulative story describes how George Washington chose the design for what would become the White House and supervised its construction. Rhyming verses, interspersed with background paragraphs to fill out the narrative, describe how Washington found the site and held a contest to get design submissions. African American and white surveyors and laborers are included in the pictures. The illustrations, rendered in watercolor and ink, are large scale, like the house. The artwork spills off the spreads, the images too big to be contained. The perspective shifts to provide varying views of the work in progress. Earth tones complement the building theme, suggesting dirt, wood, and grass. A section at the back of the book describes the many changes made to the White House over the years, and an author's note provides more historical detail. Although there are many books for young readers about George Washington, this appealing title is unique in its focus.-Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA

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