The Mellons Build a House by Robin Jacobs

An essential read for aspiring young architects and construction enthusiasts from the author of the award-winning book Earth-Shattering Events.

The Mellon family have outgrown their flat. It’s time to move, but none of the houses they look at are quite right, so they decide to build their own house. Masha is an architect. She designs a house that accommodates the Mellons’ needs, their budget, and most importantly the environment. It is an eco-house.

The Mellons Build a House is a hugely enjoyable picturebook that takes the reader step by step through the design and construction of a house. Heat pumps, solar panels, insulation and rainwater harvesting are all explained, and brought to life in Nik Neves’s warm, inclusive illustrations.

Robin Jacobs is children’s television and book writer. She is the author of Don’t Hug the Pug and Earth-Shattering Events. She is an active environmentalist and has recently completed an eco-build of her own outside of Bristol.

Nik Neves is a prize-winning Brazilian artist and illustrator living and working in Berlin. He has worked with clients including Moet, Printemps, Vogue, Facebook, Brooklyn Industries, National Geographic and Lonely Planet. He is the creative director of Inutil magazine, based in Portugal.