A beautiful picture book about a beautiful building. The very human story of a young child, not sure about moving to the city, and how the natural beauty of Gaudi's jewelbox of a house makes the process easier, and makes her feel seen.

I absolutely adored the story, Carmen and the House That Gaudi Built. I was shocked to learn that it was based on a real house, and it made me love this story even more. Carmen is a character that loves adventure and being outside. She and her invisible dragon spend hours exploring. She is devasted to hear that her family will be moving into a new home in the city. Through her friendship with the architect, Gaudi, a beautiful house is designed that makes Carmen's fears of moving completely disappear.

Carmen and the House that Gaudí Built is a cute story with historical background about a famous Spanish arquitect. This is the first time I've heard about this house and it's amazing how kids can learn about this in a picture book with beautiful illustrations. I somehow wish for Carmen and Dragon to have explored the house a little bit more or to have seen more (imaginary) interactions with Gaudí. But even so, I do believe that children will love this story and enjoy reading learning about this architect's wonderful creations (the author's note tells you more about Gaudí)!

I found the plot to be lacking, but I was very glad to see the inclusion of a real picture of the house mentioned in the story.

Absolutely a stunning illustrations with a whimsical story. I absolutely love the story, the relationship of main character-little girl to her parents and to nature itself. And the dragon!! Highly recommend this book to all kids age 5-8. There is a main theme about being scared of change or moving as a child - very well done. But there is another layer about a kid growing up with imagination and using it to fuel her insecurities to grow up.

Picture book fiction about a young girl's interactions with Gaudi as he designs a new home for her family. The story is fun, the illustrations evoke Gaudi's style without trying to copy it, and the end notes give historical context - a perfect combination.

This is an interesting way to explain the architecture of a very cool building in Barcelona that was designed by Antoni Gaudi. This is like a building built by someone on drugs, but no, this is the sort of architecture buildings that Gaudi designed and built.

The house has no sharp corners. There even seems to be a dragon on the roof.

So, to explain this house, this picture book imagines that the daughter of the man who asked Gaudi to build the house, influenced him.

To me, it was more interesting to see the results and the information we do have about Guadi, though no one knows why he did what he did.

The house is UNESCO World Heritage site, and is known as the Casa Batllo.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

I really loved this picture book! The story is sweet and the illustrations gorgeous--and, quite a tricky thing for a book of this sort, they do justice to the artist who inspired them. Gaudi has always fascinated me. Even though I'm not sure I could stomach living in a house he designed, I sure would like to visit one and admire it for a time.
Four stars, only because I don't think this one appeals to children as much as to adults, a pet peeve of mine.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy!

Thank you Owlkids Books and NetGalley for the advance digital reading copy of this book.

I really enjoyed how this book shares Antoni Gaudi's work with a new generation. I love that the author used their imagination to create the story behind the choices Gausdi made when designing and building Casa Batllo. The illustrations are beautiful and creative.

The illustrations to this book are absolutely beautiful. I do like the story and I had never heard of Antoni Gaudi, before reading this book. It was a nice read and I love learning about new people. I enjoyed the Author's Note also just a beautiful book.

"Carmen and the House That Gaudí Built" is a charming children's book following the architectural work of Antoni Gaudí and the house he designs and builds for Carmen's family. This book is filled with the most beautiful and whimsical illustrations I have ever seen in a children's book, they absolutely brought the story to life on the page. The story follows young Carmen as her family decides to move out of the country and into the bigger city. Carmen is upset because she has to leave her imaginary salamander behind. As the book progresses however, you get to see her wonder build as she begins to she the new house take shape and explores the ideas that Gaudí puts into the house.
I think this book does an amazing job of introducing Art History and Architectural History to young children through the simple yet effective story and the beautiful artwork. The author's note at the end of the story also does a really great job of giving the reader a lot of information about Gaudí's life and work and includes an imagine of the actual house that Carmen and her family move into. This is definitely a book that I will be buying for my niece and nephews when it is published.




Thank you to Netgalley and Owlkids Books for providing me with this E-Arc of "Carmen and the House That Gaudí Built" in exchange for an honest review.

‘Carmen and the House that Gaudí Built’ is a magical read inspired by the real Batlló
home designed by Gaudí. The narrative follows Carmen and her reluctance to move houses and the accompanying uncertainty and fear of change. However, as Carmen witness her new house become a home with Gaudí’s unique touch, perhaps it isn’t so bad after all?

The illustrations are gorgeous, implementing a soft, yet vibrant tones and colours. I appreciate how the art and narrative captivates the reader whilst inspiring wonder and awe. I adored the style as it complimented the whimsical read and keeps the reader engaged.

I feel like this read can serve as an introductory to history and art.

Overall, a stunning book that explores themes of bravery, imagination, family, and nature. A truly beautiful read.

Recommended for: readers looking for a magical read that inspires imagination, readers looking for a book that explores the fear of change and acceptance, readers looking for a book that highlights history and art

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A fictional story based on fact, revolving around the work of the famous and beloved architect Antoni Gaudi with stunning and whimsical illustrations.

Gorgeously illustrated, this book tells the story of a young girl named Carmen who loves the woods and is afraid to move to the big city. A nice group read aloud, it fits a story time theme of feelings, bravery, houses, family, or nature. Kids will enjoy the fantasy of Carmen and her dragon/salamander and adults will appreciate the author's note at the end explaining how the story is based in true events. Don't miss the picture of the actual Casa Batllo in Barcelona in the back of the book!

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A wonderful story filled with beautiful artwork based on a real house! I loved the artwork and the sweet story of a little girl and her imaginary salamander friend. Carmen’s family has announced they are moving to a new home but Carmen is less excited about moving leaving her salamander behind. A truly fun read with beautiful artwork!

Brilliant and beautiful! I absolutely adore this gorgeously illustrated picture book by Susan Hughes - it's the perfect introduction into historical fiction for young children! Carmen and the House That Gaudí Built weaves magic into the architecture of a real building redesigned by Gaudí, and infuses imagination into the inspiration behind his design.

Really clever, this book shows the young reader that adults can have imagination too – or at least they can when they're Antoni Gaudi. The young girl at the centre of the book regrets her family's decision to leave the countryside for a city centre residence in Barcelona, but is amazed to find the countryside brought to the building concerned, replete with all its colours, shapes, textures, randomness and magic. We're told at the end, on the non-fiction page, that nobody was ever informed why Gaudi put a huge lizard atop the building, and so this girl's imaginary giant salamander friend is as good a reason as any. So yes, this could inspire an interest in the more fantastical architecture, but it's not really a STEM book – it's about the imagination, about how any stuffy, unwanted adult might just be a magician able to exceed your wildest dreams, and it's a hymn to those with a childlike eye for creativity and drama. I might be biased in that I love Gaudi's work, but I think this is a big success. Four and a half stars.

This is a beautiful story that makes me look at an incredible building with even more awe and wonder. Thank you for this fun picture book ARC NetGalley!!

Carmen is an introvert and avid nature lover who lives in the Spanish countryside with her family. Her parents are moving to the city and hire Gaudi, a creative designer and architect to remodel the house. What follows is a beautiful soft story about art, design, and reassurance that life holds surprises. Gorgeous colored illustrations, a new set of cultural thoughts to explore, and great facts at the end of the book really push this book to the top!

Releases March 15th, 2021

Such a beautiful imaginative story based on a real home in Barcelona and the family who moved there. This illustration style is my absolute favorite. I'm not quite sure what you would exactly call it, but I've seen similar illustrations and it grabs me every single time. There's something about these earth tones and full-page spreads that just captivate you into the story. I enjoyed everything about this story, although, I do believe based on the sentence structure and word choice that this would be for slightly older children. Even if reading aloud, I do think younger children might not grasp the story as well. Regardless, it was an absolute gem and I really loved having the opportunity to read this and simultaneously learn more about Gaudi and the Batlló family.

Thank you to NetGalley and Owlkids for an eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.