Fun with Books: Buildings in Disguise by Joan Arbogast

buildings in disguise

One of my favorite things about writing books for kids, parents, and teachers is meeting fabulously talented authors…who happen to be great people, too. I am blessed to call Joan Marie Arbogast my friend. She’s encouraged and inspired me, as a Catholic mom and as a writer.
I am so excited to share her book, Buildings in Disguise, with you today!
Buildings in Disguise was published in 2004 by Boyds Mills Press. It is a wonderfully photographed book about mimetic architecture – so called because the buildings mimic animals, food, and other things. It’s a really great inspiration-sparker!
We are just beginning a study of mimetic {or novelty} architecture as I write this, so I’m sharing some of the ideas I have for my kids to work through as we read and enjoy Joan’s book. I’ll give my kids this Kid’s Choice Board {download your own} so they can each choose the activities they will do to show what they’ve learned during this fun summer study.
Buildings in Disguise Choice Board

Using the choice board, the kids will choose a minimum of one activity from each row.

  • The top row consists of art projects.
  • The middle row contains printable activities.
  • The bottom row is made up of research and writing tasks.

The choice board gives the kids a way to exercise their own preferences, but still work on a variety of project types. We’ll {hopefully} culminate our exploration with a trip to a real example of this type of architecture. {I’ve always wanted an excuse to visit the Longaberger Basket!}