Families who loved Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building by Christy Hale often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when you notice your child lost in deep concentration over a pile of blocks, boxes, or sand. It is the perfect choice for validating the 'work' of childhood play and bridging the gap between a toddler's living room tower and the magnificent structures that define our global skyline. By placing photos of world-renowned architecture side-by-side with illustrations of children building similar forms, the book transforms simple play into an act of visionary engineering. Through rhythmic concrete poetry and striking visual comparisons, the book celebrates creativity, spatial reasoning, and the pride of accomplishment. It is highly accessible for preschoolers who enjoy the shapes and rhymes, yet remains intellectually stimulating for older elementary students who can dive into the back matter regarding the architects. It is a quiet, inspiring call to see the extraordinary potential in every cardboard box and plastic brick.
