Looking for something fun and educational to keep the little ones busy this summer? Or maybe you’re looking for something new to read at bedtime? No matter what your reading adventure is, here are some fantastic picture books that will be sure to get any child interested in architecture.

If I Built A House by Chris Van Dusen

A fun, imaginative story with great illustrations! Perfect to interest kids in building their very own dream rooms.

Discovering Architecture by Berta Bardi i Milá

Who built the first house? How does a dome stay up? Can you build a home with paper? All these questions and more are answered in this illustrated guide to architecture.

The Three Little Pigs: An Architectural Tale by Steven Guarnaccia

A quirky retelling of the Three Little Pigs but with an architectural twist. Each pig was inspired by a famous architect and their homes represent their styles.

If You Lived Here: Houses of the World by Giles Laroche

An exciting book that takes you inside different styles of houses all over the world. How would your room look different if you lived on the mountainside of Spain than if you lived in a rotating house in the Netherlands?

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

We spend most of our lives in and around buildings, but how did people start building them? Who started building them? A great dive into how architecture started and who started it.

How Cities Work by- James Gulliver Hancock

This book explores the city in a whole new way! Featuring flaps to lift up and pages to unfold, this book takes you in, around, and under cities to see exactly how they all work.

A City Through Time by Steve Noon

Venture back into the past and learn how everyday life worked around the city in different centuries. Meet the characters who work and live in each city and learn how things have changed throughout the ages.

Who Built That? Skyscrapers by Didier Cornille

Nothing captures your attention in a city like a giant skyscraper! Behind every tall building there’s a designer who created it. Learn about these designers and exactly what it takes to create these incredible feats of architecture.

Look at That Building!: A First Book of Structures by Scot Ritchie

This book introduces young readers to the basics of construction through the story of five friends building a doghouse for their pet. Featuring lots of fun facts, and bright illustrations, this isn’t a book to miss out on!

The Ultimate Book of Cities by Anne-Sophie Baumann

Learn all about the people, places, and vehicles that make the city go: The express bus drives passengers to work, swans swim in the lake at the park, what traffic signs mean, and best of all, lots of flaps, popups, pull-tabs, and rotating wheels bring a vibrant city to life.

How A House Is Built by Gail Gibbons

Houses are built in different ways and in different styles. Step by step this books takes readers into the mind of an architect as they plan a building all the way to the happy family as they move in.

Meet the Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright by Patricia Geis

This book features the life and work of visionary American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. This hands-on introduction will inspire budding architects from ages eight to eighty.

Have fun reading and exploring with your little ones! We hope you enjoy at least one of these books and feel free to share any other favourites you may have, we love hearing about them. Happy summer Petit Architects!