Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Reading Time
    • Home
    • Reviews
      • Highly Recommended
      • CBCA Short Listed
      • Early Childhood Books
      • Younger Readers
      • Intermediate Readers
      • Older Readers
      • Great Read Alouds
      • Information Books
      • Picture Books
      • Professional Development
    • Interviews
    • Suggestions
    • News
    • Meet The Review Team
    • Contact Us
    Reading Time
    You are at:Home»Reviews»Picture Books»Puffin the Architect

    Puffin the Architect

    0
    By Admin on October 14, 2018 Picture Books, Younger Readers

    Kimberly Andrews, Puffin the Architect, Penguin Books Australia, July 2018, 32pp, RRP $24.99 (Hbk), ISBN 9780143793755

    Puffin the architect knows how to exceed clients’ expectations — except when the clients are her pufflings!

    Tasked with designing their new abode, Puffin shows them a range of homes for different animals, each plan gloriously functional but swiftly rejected by her fussy pufflings. Poised to quit from frustration, Puffin finally listens to their unique needs and comes up with a grand solution for the family home.

    There is much to like about this large-format book: the depth and richness of the illustrations, especially the intricate double-spreads; the working female head of household, the spotlight on architecture as a profession; the cumulative text; the cleverly built spaces that the many animals call home; and the important message that listening can lead to understanding.

    This is not an easy book to devour in one sitting; in fact, its layered action and detailed illustrations almost demand revisiting, with young readers undoubtedly finding something new on each occasion. The muted palette is appealing, yet I wonder if it’s vibrant enough to hold the attention of younger readers. The layered text (narrative, conversational between characters, and the rhyming design summaries), is both playful and ambitious yet at times seemed to compete with the intricate illustrations, though this certainly wouldn’t be an issue for older readers.

    Puffin the Architect is an impressive debut from talented author-illustrator. Ideas for how to use the book in the classroom can be found here.

    Reviewed by Maura Pierlot

    Related Posts

    The Bush Birds

    Star of Anise

    Spotlight Please…It’s Stevie Louise

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    • Themes
    • Curriculum
    Action adventure Airplanes Alphabet Anxiety autism Bullying CBCA Awards Coming of age Dystopian emotions family fantasy friendship grief Historical humour magic Mystery Post apocalyptic Readers Cup reluctant readers school Sci-Fi series of books siblings Sport Starting school Teacher Notes
    ANZAC Australian animals Australian history Biography Culture & Diversity Disabilities First Nations Geography health Humanities mental health Poetry Reconciliation resilience Science STEM Stolen Generation sustainability Wordless books



    Recent Comments
    • Barbara on The Secret of Sapling Green
    • Cherie on Elephant Island
    • Patricia Tilton on Freddy the Not-Teddy
    • Jilanne Hoffmann on Freddy the Not-Teddy
    • Penelope Pratley on The Secret of Sapling Green
    Recent Posts
    • The Bush Birds
    • Star of Anise
    • Spotlight Please…It’s Stevie Louise
    • Moth in a Fancy Cardigan
    • How to Make a Monster
    Recent Comments
    • Barbara on The Secret of Sapling Green
    • Cherie on Elephant Island
    • Patricia Tilton on Freddy the Not-Teddy
    • Jilanne Hoffmann on Freddy the Not-Teddy
    • Penelope Pratley on The Secret of Sapling Green
    © Copyright 2021 The Children’s Book Council of Australia - All rights reserved

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.