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Billions of Bricks
Grab a hard hat and all your tools, and get ready for a construction adventure in counting! This clever, rhyming picture book leads readers through a day in the life of a construction crew building with bricks. A brick may seem like just a simple block, but in groupings of ten, twenty, and more, it can create many impressive structures, from hotels to schools to skyscrapers. This is a terrific introduction to counting in quantities for children.
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First published October 11, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
September 30, 2017
A great story about bricks and counting them. Not as simplistic as it might sound, the young reader learns about the various ways bricks are used, how they are made, and what keeps them together. As the piece progresses, the reader discovers just how complex brick laying can be and what wonderful structures can be made from bricks. Neo was amazed that it would take so many bricks to make a building, but when we thought about it a billion does not seem so many. Great fun, though I am not sure if he wants to venture into the world of bricklaying any time in the near future.
June 6, 2018
Women! People of color! Different body types! Finally a construction book that does some good!
May 20, 2020
Wonderful illustrations of brick structures being built. I think children who are interested in building and engineering would really enjoy it. The text is engaging, too. I'm not sure I would really consider this a "counting" book. After the first few pages, the bricks multiply so much that the text no longer matches the illustrations. For example, in one illustration we do have a woman carrying four bricks and a girl carrying two bricks. We have six bricks on a dolly. But then we have literally dozens and dozens more bricks all over the brickyard. The text says: "Two, four, six. Another batch of bricks! Big and small, we use them all. Two, four, six." The page that says, "Stack them to the sky, a hundred meters high. Twenty, forty, sixty, eighty, straight into the sky" shows hundreds of bricks in a building. So, I don't really feel this is helpful conceptually for children learning the breakdowns of counting multiples. The four stars is for sheer reading enjoyment, but I don't think it succeeds very well as a counting book.
February 7, 2017
I love these illustrations! The incorporation of mathematics and counting, while being told in rhyme, make the concepts very accessible and, dare I say it, fun! The illustrations are my favorite part; I love how everything fits together and all of the "hidden" parts. ;)
November 20, 2016
This is a great counting book that also rhymes. The illustrations are well done, and show the many places bricks are used in construction. Hopefully, when a child sees bricks in their daily life this book will encourage them to start counting them.
November 20, 2020
Bricks are a pretty dull topic, you might think. But this book about bricks and construction is fun and engaging. It's cool to see all the people working together to make billions of bricks into impressive structures.
May 4, 2019
Not really a counting book. Numbers are mentioned only sporadically in the rhyming text, and not sequentially. The focus of this picture book is more on how bricks are formed and how to build with them. Illustrations are really cool, especially if you like geometric patterns.
May 13, 2021
A fun rhyming book about building with bricks. It even showed how bricks are made! It had great diversity with men, women, and children of different skin tones and body types all doing construction together. If I were Kurt Cyrus I wouldn't want to draw another rectangle for a very long time.
November 22, 2024
Great rhyme and rhythm
April 27, 2017
The illustrations perfectly match the text. Bricks are awesome!
February 8, 2022
This is not a counting book, but it does have a staggering sense of scale and an impeccable rhythm. Almost perfect, except for rhyming cellar with pillar.
November 17, 2019
A counting book called Billions of Bricks? We're going to count to a billion?
No, fortunately, there's just lots of bricks. This is about building. The artwork is great, but the subject doesn't really grab me. Your mileage may vary.
No, fortunately, there's just lots of bricks. This is about building. The artwork is great, but the subject doesn't really grab me. Your mileage may vary.
May 1, 2017
This is less of a counting book than I was expecting, but it's great for teaching kids all that goes into building with bricks. Construction minded preschoolers will be thrilled with all the details, though I am unsure whether they would understand the ending. I found the final sentence difficult to read aloud with the proper inflection to carry across its punchline. Still, the illustrations are attractive, and the text flows smoothly.
December 5, 2016
I love the way Cyrus draws those bricks! I just want to reach into the pages and touch them! Plus, I'm so curious about this world in which there are no child labor laws and EVERYthing is made from bricks...
March 12, 2017
It's bonus fun following the man in the green overalls, the woman with the dolly of bricks, and the child with a single brick navigate through every double-page spread. There are additional characters to watch out for, too. Good fun, and beautiful brick designs.
June 21, 2021
Very cool book about a basic foundation of most cities. I read this aloud to second and third graders. The funny end kinda fell flat, but they were interested and this sparked some discussion about how and what are used to build our cities.
December 11, 2016
Great use of varying perspectives in this fun, unusual counting book.
February 10, 2017
Rhymes! GREAT rhymes! About math! And engineering! STEM!! I love it and will be using it for storytime ASAP, that is if I can keep it on my shelves.
July 23, 2017
A missed opportunity to estimate what a billion bricks actually looks like!
February 23, 2022
Rhyming text talks about bricks, both making them and building with them.
In the beginning we start with "two, four, six" and you see a stack of 6 bricks (in pairs). Very nice correspondence.
On the next 2 page spread, we talk "ten, twenty, thirty" and there are 3 stacks of 10 single bricks, although color and orientation help you count them in 2s if you want.
The next 2 spreads are about making bricks.
Then there's one about building underground with bricks.
Then, we have "five, ten, fifty, twenty" and there are 4 sets of 5 stacks of bricks.
The next spread is building a street.
Then we're back to "two, four, six" but it takes a little longer to see what they're talking about this time. We have a girl carrying 2, a woman carrying 4, and a dolly with 6 bricks on it. This is a busy work site and there are lots of other bricks.
The next page has "ten, twenty, thirty, forty" and is about building walls. I can't find the correspondence here.
The next spread is also people building and the text is about bending your knees when lifting stacks of heavy bricks.
Then we have "twenty, forty, sixty, eighty". People are building brick arches and walls. I can't find the correspondence.
The next page shows two people looking at plans and an almost finished building. The text is "two four, six. A million, billion bricks." So, clearly nothing corresponds here.
Two more spreads about different things built with bricks.
And the last page has "one" and a single brick that the worker tripped on.
Cute ending.
Probably best for the construction obsessed and a way to sneak in a bit of counting, especially counting in multiples.
In the beginning we start with "two, four, six" and you see a stack of 6 bricks (in pairs). Very nice correspondence.
On the next 2 page spread, we talk "ten, twenty, thirty" and there are 3 stacks of 10 single bricks, although color and orientation help you count them in 2s if you want.
The next 2 spreads are about making bricks.
Then there's one about building underground with bricks.
Then, we have "five, ten, fifty, twenty" and there are 4 sets of 5 stacks of bricks.
The next spread is building a street.
Then we're back to "two, four, six" but it takes a little longer to see what they're talking about this time. We have a girl carrying 2, a woman carrying 4, and a dolly with 6 bricks on it. This is a busy work site and there are lots of other bricks.
The next page has "ten, twenty, thirty, forty" and is about building walls. I can't find the correspondence here.
The next spread is also people building and the text is about bending your knees when lifting stacks of heavy bricks.
Then we have "twenty, forty, sixty, eighty". People are building brick arches and walls. I can't find the correspondence.
The next page shows two people looking at plans and an almost finished building. The text is "two four, six. A million, billion bricks." So, clearly nothing corresponds here.
Two more spreads about different things built with bricks.
And the last page has "one" and a single brick that the worker tripped on.
Cute ending.
Probably best for the construction obsessed and a way to sneak in a bit of counting, especially counting in multiples.
October 6, 2024
This book is marketed as a counting book but doesn't teach kids how to count, instead it mentions skip-counting patterns. Overall, I still enjoyed the book because it was inclusive and used building, something kids are familiar with, to introduce new patterns and skip-counting ideas. I thought this book could be beneficial to read to kids as they becoming math proficient.
The book uses poetry-style text and familiar building concepts to help kids grasp these ideas. This book is recommended for students from kindergarten to 2nd grade. The text is easy to understand and doesnt try to teach any new concepts but instead it incorporates the concepts into the text to help students begin to understand skip counting. There are multiple examples of skip counting throughout the book that count by 2s, 5s, 10s and more. Even though each counting sequence only has a few of the numbers it is good to help students begin to understand this concept in a simple way.
The book uses poetry-style text and familiar building concepts to help kids grasp these ideas. This book is recommended for students from kindergarten to 2nd grade. The text is easy to understand and doesnt try to teach any new concepts but instead it incorporates the concepts into the text to help students begin to understand skip counting. There are multiple examples of skip counting throughout the book that count by 2s, 5s, 10s and more. Even though each counting sequence only has a few of the numbers it is good to help students begin to understand this concept in a simple way.
February 18, 2020
This book is incredible. It teaches basic number sense via counting, skip counting, and exposure to "big numbers." The language is top-notch: all the rhymes are beautifully crafted, nothing is clunky or forced. We get to watch people of all ages, shapes, colors, and sizes working together to accomplish impressive feats. And yes, there are women and girls!
We learn how bricks are made, and how all those bricks come together to make walls, columns, roads, great buildings. Workplace safety is cleverly addressed with a, uh, walking gag: instead of Where's Waldo? we get to play Where's Green Overalls Guy? The use of perspective and color is masterful; the detail is incredible. This is the kind of book all children deserve, so they can learn about the world in a fun, inviting, and intelligent fashion.
We learn how bricks are made, and how all those bricks come together to make walls, columns, roads, great buildings. Workplace safety is cleverly addressed with a, uh, walking gag: instead of Where's Waldo? we get to play Where's Green Overalls Guy? The use of perspective and color is masterful; the detail is incredible. This is the kind of book all children deserve, so they can learn about the world in a fun, inviting, and intelligent fashion.
May 15, 2021
Read this once through for the rhymes, the brick facts and the funny twist at the end. Read this again to follow the worker with the ladder through all the pictures. And read this yet again to count the bricks in their various stacks and groups. This is one of the few number concept picture books that goes beyond mere counting 1-10, or 1-20, and goes to counting by twos, then fives, then tens. Because of the close examination and the interaction demanded by this (both with the pictures and with the grownup reader to talk about it), this wouldn't work in a storytime. But it is a great book for construction fans, and a great math book that goes beyond mere counting to very beginning multiplication concepts.
September 24, 2023
We loved this book because Clark has been obsessed with huge numbers and Howie is obsessed with “working men” (though this book truly features “working folk”: people of color, children, elderly people, all working together, which is incredible and beautiful in and of itself).
The illustrations of giant structures made of bricks are a big sensory stim for me. They fill me with awe at what humans have built. I’m also impressed with someone drawing so many individual bricks!
It’s a great work about the magic that is already in reality for fellow Montessorians who want to fill their little children with the wonder of real things that already fascinate children.
The illustrations of giant structures made of bricks are a big sensory stim for me. They fill me with awe at what humans have built. I’m also impressed with someone drawing so many individual bricks!
It’s a great work about the magic that is already in reality for fellow Montessorians who want to fill their little children with the wonder of real things that already fascinate children.
November 8, 2016
This book is a fun way to count by 2's 5's 10's and 20's. This book also shows different buildings built using bricks and all the different things you can do with bricks.
I really loved this book! It was so cute how the author made it about counting and building. I think many students would enjoy this book and it would help them make sense or skip counting as well.
I would read this book aloud to my students to integrate reading into math. This book would help them understand skip counting and counting in general which is very beneficial.
I really loved this book! It was so cute how the author made it about counting and building. I think many students would enjoy this book and it would help them make sense or skip counting as well.
I would read this book aloud to my students to integrate reading into math. This book would help them understand skip counting and counting in general which is very beneficial.
July 15, 2018
This book is an Oregon Spirit Book Award honor book, and for good reason. Beyond being a book that active kids would be drawn to (those who enjoy building), there are SO many counting patterns kids could get into. I appreciate so much that it goes beyond the basic counting books 1, 2, 3... and instead introduces concepts of counting by 10s, as well as the counting by evens 2, 4, 6, as so on.
Beyond that, the book has rhyme and it introduces some building vocabulary - arches, pillars, cellars. Plus there is some onomatopoeia.
Pretty awesome for one picture book to do all that.
Beyond that, the book has rhyme and it introduces some building vocabulary - arches, pillars, cellars. Plus there is some onomatopoeia.
Pretty awesome for one picture book to do all that.
February 18, 2019
Genre: Picture Book - Counting Book
Awards: None
Audience: Early Childhood - 1st grade
A: The book has detailed illustrations and text that focuses on learning to count.
B: Line is an important element of the illustrations in the book. The lines are all straight for the bricks to show their sturdiness. The lines also clearly outline each brick so the children can see the bricks as they count them.
C: I would use this book when teaching number concepts to a whole class. This book could be used as an engage activity when teaching children how to count.
D: What is one way the construction workers used the bricks? Answer: The construction workers used the bricks to build a street.
Awards: None
Audience: Early Childhood - 1st grade
A: The book has detailed illustrations and text that focuses on learning to count.
B: Line is an important element of the illustrations in the book. The lines are all straight for the bricks to show their sturdiness. The lines also clearly outline each brick so the children can see the bricks as they count them.
C: I would use this book when teaching number concepts to a whole class. This book could be used as an engage activity when teaching children how to count.
D: What is one way the construction workers used the bricks? Answer: The construction workers used the bricks to build a street.
May 6, 2021
"Billions of Bricks" is a creative, rhyming picture book that takes readers through a day in the life of a brick-laying crew. A brick can appear to be a simple block, but when stacked in groups of ten, twenty, or more, it can build a variety of impressive structures, including hotels, libraries, and skyscrapers. Since this is not a typical counting book, it does not begin with one and work its way up. Counting by twos and tens is introduced in the story. I enjoyed the book's catchy rhymes as well as its cute, complex, and insightful illustrations. There are a plethora of counting patterns that children can explore and learn about. I like how it goes beyond simple counting books and adds some construction vocabulary like arches, pillars, and cellars. There's also some onomatopoeia, which I think is pretty impressive for a single picture book to implement.
May 21, 2021
I remember the first time a library patron asked me if we had any books to reinforce the concept of counting by 2s. Hmmm. While they do exist - they are few in number. And while this book is not just about counting by 2s - it does reinforce grouping numbers and counting by 2s and 5s and 10s - not just 1, 2, 3.... It also discusses brick making and building with bricks plus has some clever rhymes, incorporates repetition and has a humorous ending. And it has a diverse cast of human characters - all busy working with bricks.
June 2, 2021
Read: 6/1/21
Genre: Fiction
Grade Level: 2nd
I think this would be a great book to use in math because it counts in a variety of different ways, by twos, tens, fives, etc. I think it would be a fun book to use to practice these different ways of skip counting. You could start by using the book and continue up to 100 or higher depending on the grade level. You could also use this book to teach about rhymes. Overall, I think this is a good book to use to teach rather than as entertainment for the students since it is mainly just about building with bricks and there is no real story line.
Genre: Fiction
Grade Level: 2nd
I think this would be a great book to use in math because it counts in a variety of different ways, by twos, tens, fives, etc. I think it would be a fun book to use to practice these different ways of skip counting. You could start by using the book and continue up to 100 or higher depending on the grade level. You could also use this book to teach about rhymes. Overall, I think this is a good book to use to teach rather than as entertainment for the students since it is mainly just about building with bricks and there is no real story line.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews