Growing up in North Mississippi, at least once a month, my family would go to Memphis, Tennessee. I always loved visiting the downtown area. I can remember my sister and I walking along the sidewalk gazing up at the buildings that seemed to reach up into the clouds. I was so small in comparison. Skyscrapers, by Seymour Simon, reminded me of those times. The picture on the cover reminded me of how I used to stare up at the buildings and wonder how they were built. This book answered that question and many more.

The book begins with a simple definition of a skyscraper, and it describes how it feels to be at the bottom looking up and on the top floor looking down. I think that this is an excellent way to begin the book because it gives the reader a point of reference just in case they have never experienced seeing or being in a skyscraper. When looking from the top of a skyscraper, Simon compares the people on the ground to tiny ants. The book continues by introducing different well-known skyscrapers and then explaining the process for building them. For example, it was explained that the reason that the Leaning Tower of Pisa began to lean was because it was built on soft ground. Architects learned from this example, and the next page explains how today’s skyscrapers are built using metal frames. I really liked the way that the book was organized. It followed the progression of how skyscrapers are constructed while referencing what was learned from buildings that had been previously built. As the book progressed, the language became technical, but it was not difficult to understand, and Simon included definitions or examples for each of the terms. The illustrations were very informative. Just like the book, the pictures followed the construction of a skyscraper from the treatment of the foundation to the windows being put it. Seeing the size of the equipment that is used to build these huge buildings was very effective in relating the magnitude of this type of construction project.

This book does an excellent job of explaining the process of building a skyscraper, and it also gives many examples. Skyscrapers from all over the world were mentioned. The design of some of these buildings was so amazing, and most people wouldn’t be able to travel to the Petronas Towers in Malaysia in order to see them in person; however, when I saw the picture and read that the building weighed more than 3,000 elephants, I could imagine the size and magnificence of the building.
I would recommend this book to be used in a social studies class in a lesson that focuses on urbanization or city living. ( )