Under Every Roof: A Kids Style and Field Guide to the Architecture of American Houses

T his book is a delightful guide to understanding and identifying architectural styles for kids and their parents Why do houses look the way they do? Why do dome have small windows, while others seem to be all glass? Why do some hug the landscape, while others are tall with very steep roofs? Why do dome people live in mansions, while others live in mobile houses? Can you imagine a house that looks like an elephant or a shoe? Children and adults will learn about the history of domestic architecture, the styles of the houses we live in, and the terms for the architectural elements that compose the buildings. Use the pictorial field guide to investigate your own house, then take it along on family outings to identify different architectural details. Under Every Roof features more than 60 houses from 30 states and the District of Columbia that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places; many of these are house museums that are open to the public. Kids need to understand the house they live in, so the book also includes a wide variety of regional styles and architectural types. The full–color, watercolor illustrations add a unique, gentle humor to the text.

INTRODUCTION. WHY HOUSES LOOK THE WAY THEY DO. STYLE. FIELD GUIDE. LOCATION, HISTORIC STATUS, AND ACCESSIBILITY. FURTHER READING. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

Patricia Brown Glenn has taught art history at the University of Missouri at Kansas City and works as a consultant in architectural history and art education. She has developed educational materials for both the Landmarks Commission of Kansas City, Missouri, and Historic Kansas City Foundation and had designed and edited the foundation’s bimonthly journal. Joe Stites is a Kansas City–based free–lance illustrator, cartoonist, and humorist. His creative enterprises include greeting cards, comic strips, and children’s books.