Spring 2026

The Mellons Build a House

  • Interest Level: Kindergarten - Grade 4
  • Reading Level: Grade 3

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 picture book 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.

Format Your Price Add
978-1-80066-033-5
On pre-order until 01/01/2026
$16.99
Available at all major wholesalers and distributors. Save 25% off list price on library bound hardcovers and all eBook and eBook with Audio editions when you buy direct! Digital purchases will be accessed on Lerner Digital Bookshelf. An account will be created for you after purchase.
Interest Level Kindergarten - Grade 4
Reading Level Grade 3
Genre Science
Category STEM, STEM: Earth Science, STEM: Engineering, STEM: Life Science/Plants, STEM: Technology
Copyright 2023
Publisher Cicada Books
Language English
Number of Pages 40
Publication Date 2026-01-01
Text Type Informational Fiction
BISACS JUV063000, JUV088000, JUV073000
Dewey [Fic]
Dimensions 8.6667 x 11

Author: Robin Jacobs

Robin Jacobs is a children’s television and book writer living on the outskirts of Bristol, UK, with her family and two dogs. She has an undergraduate degree in earth sciences and has authored books such as Earth-Shattering Events (Cicada, 2019) and The Mellons Build a House (Cicada, 2023).

Illustrator: Nik Neves