Houses of China
Bonnie Shemie, author/artist of the internationally acclaimed Native Dwellings series of North America, turns to China to look at some of the world’s most unusual dwellings. From the simple farmhouse to the elegant courtyard dwelling, from mountainside stone houses to portable yurts, caves and underground rooms, all are described with informative text and illustrated in full-color pencil drawings based on her research in China. Houses of China details the two main beliefs that have influenced Chinese design: Fengshui, which governs how, when, and where a dwelling is to be built so that a family will have good fortune, and Confucianism, which teaches the order of how the old and young relate to each other. It all adds up to an informative and beautifully illustrated book for young readers.