This book is full of fascinating structures, scientific experiments, and buildings that were created with some aspect of nature in mind. Readers will be amazed by the amazing things nature is capable of and how humans have used these aspects of nature to create man-made things. In addition to the text, there are DIY experiments and suggestions for students to try at home. This would be a great book for classroom libraries and a must have for teachers who are looking to add STEM or nature related activities into their instruction.

For the past eight or nine months, I have been reading something science-related to the children every morning, along with a Bible story, a devotional, and our history lesson. We’ve just read a couple of pages of whatever book it was, but we finished the ones I had a couple of weeks ago. I remembered, then, that a digital copy of Wild Buildings and Bridges was in my computer, and thought my boys might enjoy it.

This full-color book shows examples of many architectural features that have been inspired by things in nature. Water-purifying systems, paint that lets water roll right off, and a system to grow plants in a desert using fog kick off this fascinating book. After this, we are treated to a discussion of how cacti have inspired the shape of buildings, and how a particular type of grass helped an architect design an earthquake-proof bridge! This is just the beginning; there are many more examples as you read on.

We really enjoyed reading and looking at pictures of ways in which God’s creation has inspired human creativity, and ways in which people have solved problems by studying the natural world around them. My boys were a little bit provoked at the book, though, as the authors did not give glory to God. When the book would say something about how nature had it first, they would yell, “God!” Just keep in mind that this is a secular book, and use it to glorify the Creator!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

An interesting nonfiction title for kids that let's them see how nature influences humans, especially when designing buildings and structures.

This is a great area of focus for kids nonfiction. How and why buildings are constructed is already fascinating to them. To then tie it back to the wonder of the natural world and the inherent wisdom we find there. Lots of cool information presented in a very accessible way.

This beautiful book prompts students to look at both nature and architecture in a different light. It also introduces readers to some famous buildings and architects. My gifted students would like it!

Are you planning a STEAM challenge? Does it involve design and construction? If so, read Wild Buildings and Bridges: Architecture Inspired by Nature. In this book, author Etta Kaner explains how nature influences design. She pulls on her experience as a classroom teacher to deliver this information. Kaner engages the audience with thought provoking questions and illustrated examples. Step-by-step directions invite learners to experiment with architecture. Readers will feel compelled to study nature after reading this intriguing book.
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This is wonderful source of inspiration and knowledge for any kid curious about architecture, shapes and nature. I learned something new on every single page, and the book kept me interested and involved until the end. The text is not too dense, and richly illustrated, which makes it very enjoyable. It also includes experimentation that you can do with your kids to help them understand physics.

The only negative points that I have about this book are the lack of diverse representation. There are a lot of people of colors illustrated, but they are random people walking by a building. The two biographies with portraits are about white male architects. The author/illustrator had the change to include a portrait of a woman architect on page 16, as it introduced a new chapter, but put a middle-age man instead. I was also taken aback by the very weird illustration on pages 1 and 6, with the open head of a person filled with mechanics and nature-based architectures.

Except those two negative points, I had a fantastic time reading this book and I feel like it will be loved by adults and children alike.

What a fun introduction to architecture! Wild Buildings and Bridges includes informative text, photographs and illustrations and fun science experiments. I love that author Etta Kaner chose to represent a variety buildings and bridges. I think elementary to middle grade readers would enjoy having access to this book in classroom and school libraries. Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to preview #WildBuildingsandBridges by Etta Kaner - I really enjoyed it!

This is an interesting look at architecture from the perspective of how nature and natural things influence it. The book is definitely aimed at an older elementary school audience.

“Would you believe there is a museum that moves like a bird? Or a house built in the shape of a feathered snake?”

Wild Buildings and Bridges represents a departure from my usual area of interest. Since childhood I’ve always been much more drawn fiction, to the extent that when my parents insisted I included one non-fiction book in my regular library haul, I read and memorised the description on the back to recite if tested, without even opening the book! Now that I have my own children I appreciate the value of non-fiction much more and am constantly impressed by the huge variety available nowadays. While I still prefer a good fictional story to read for pleasure, we’re gradually expanding our selection of non-fiction books, and today’s title may be the next to join our collection.

Wild Buildings and Bridges is aimed at a higher reading age than the picture books I usually review and is a lot more wordy, for good reason. It showcases fascinating structures that have been designed in unusual ways based on observations of nature. Some of these mimic termite nests and cacti to stay cool, others use features of beetles to collect water, or are built from recycled materials to reduce waste.

Readers are also introduced to certain influential architects such as Koen Olthius (designer of floating structures that withstand flooding) and Frank Gehry (the architect who designed the Guggenheim Museum).

The book additionally includes simple experiments for children to carry out at home in order to observe how certain structures work, for example creating fresh water by means of condensation and constructing an imitation honeycomb.

Photographs of famous buildings and bridges as well as the natural features that inspired them are placed alongside beautifully intricate illustrations.

I feel that the book is perfectly suited for children from age 7, as per the official recommendation (maybe even slightly younger), but adults can also learn so much from it that the upper age limit could easily be increased to age 100+! I have no doubt that it will inspire many young architects of the future.

This is a very informative book about how nature and architecture are similar. The writing is geared towards an older elementary audience. It is a good complement for any STEAM classroom or library.

Readers are introduced to the concept of biomimicry in architecture from designs purposefully based on principals from nature to ones that happened by accident.

This is engagingly written and covers a topic not a whole lot of books have been written about. It looks at the ways that humans have designed buildings whether in their looks or their structures to mimic natural designs in plants or animals. From natural cooling methods to using triangles for greater strength to how to design a house to stand up to constant floods or a bridge to constant earthquakes. Readers are introduced to many recognizable buildings and bridges which display biomimicry and occasionally to the architects who designed them. Kids should find the reading engaging and there are some easy experiments included that show how certain cooling principles or weight-bearing designs work. A great read for middle graders looking for something on natural energy efficiency methods, the way art imitates life, or an engaging architecture read.

<i>I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

I liked this book so much that I have already bought it. I left reading it till quite a while after I first requested it. I wish I had gotten to it sooner.

The book has very nice illustrations and though is clearly meant for children, it is one that we adults can get quite a kick out of as well. There are descriptions of buildings or bridges that use biomimicry to achieve a set purpose, which is to be stable and flourish in a particular environment. There are details of locations, actual examples and even some architects who are introduced to us. There are a few experiments scattered about which will help retain the facts learnt in the process of reading this book. Overall I think it is a perfect book to introduce children of all ages to architecture and to look at their surroundings differently.

This is wonderful educational book for people of any age who are interested in architecture and/or nature!

Wild Buildings and Bridges by Etta Kaner & Carl Wiens introduces kids to biomimetic architecture, or architecture that 'mimics nature’ in some way. There are many ways nature inspires modern builders. They've created buildings that mimic how sea sponges weather current, and ones that mimic termite nests’ cooling abilities. There are buildings designed to float like water lilies during floods, and ones built on fractals for support. This book also discusses organic architects like Frank Lloyd Wright. These are architects that study the terrain a building will be built on, and utilise that terrain. Fallingwater and Quetzalcoatl's Nest are examples. Scattered throughout are experiments for kids to try, such as collecting water like a Namibian beetle and testing the stability of bridge trusses using formats found in nature. Perfect for children interested in buildings, or in how we can work with nature instead of against it.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Kids Can Press for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Wild Buildings and Bridges introduces young readers to the idea that nature and design go hand in hand, be it by intentional design or happenstance. The included activities are a good tie-in for at home exploration, or class investigation. This aligns nicely with STEAM, tying nature and architecture together, focusing on a combination of the biology, engineering, and artistry involved in both nature and architecture. Recommended 3rd grade and up.

How creative and inventive this new release by Kaner is. It was really interesting to see how architecture can mimic nature.

Fascinating book for scientists, architects and artists! This book explains how nature inspires architecture in form and function with just the right amount of text and detailed drawings. I like the emphasis on problem solving and I see this book being used in science and technology classes. Although I do wish there were more pictures of the actual buildings mentioned.

Thank you Netgalley and Kids Can Press for an advanced copy of this book.

Wild Buildings and Bridges is a book that Science and art teachers will love. Science teachers will love the application of animal adaptations to the construction of buildings and bridges in a concept known as biomimicry. Worldwide, Architects are using things they have discovered in nature for heating, cooking, strength etc. The book shows the plant or animal from nature, then how it's structure does a specific thing, then a building that uses that same characteristic in architectural design. Detailed illustrationa, photographs, diagrams, and drawings complement the textual descriptions. The text is easy enough for late junior/intermediate students but could be used with older or younger children that are interested in STEM. There are some hands on activities in the book that would be especially interesting and appeal to younger readers. This would make an excellent addition to the STEM collection of any library, family, school, class or public.

I really enjoyed this book and found the information interesting. I think the chapters are well laid out and easy to understand. I do wish it had more actual pictures of the buildings and bridges that are mentioned. There are some pictures like the Gherkin building, but there are some interesting buildings mentioned that are only illustrations like the floating homes of Norway, or the hexagonal domes in Cornwall.