Penworthy Pick: The House That George Built

Celebrate Presidents' Day and get ready to “Build a Better World” this summer with The House That George Built by Suzanne Slade. This engaging picture book follows George Washington as he undertakes the building of the White House. The book features a clever take on “The House That Jack Built” rhyme on most of the right-hand pages, with more detailed text on the left. Watercolor and ink illustrations by Rebecca Bond bring the story to life as Washington finds the perfect site for the president's house, holds a contest to find the best design, and supervises the construction through all its ups and downs. The last pages of the book include more information about the history of the White House through the years (Did you know FDR added a private movie theater in 1942?) as well as more information about our first president. This is a wonderful book to read aloud, and the combination of simple cumulative rhymes and more detailed text make it extremely versatile for different ages. I love this book!

By Lisa Rulf, Penworthy Representative