Castaldo, Nancy F. Buildings That Breathe: Greening the World’s Cities. Twenty-First Century, 11/2022. 112pp. Non-Fiction. GRADES 7 – 12. PLB $37.32. 978-1-7284-1946-6. HIGH ADDITIONAL.
This eco-conscious title covers ways to help make cities more environmentally friendly, specifically by increasing vegetation growing in cities. By focusing on buildings designed to facilitate more trees and plants, Castaldo shows readers how some architectural changes can fundamentally improve cities – for humans and the planet. Readers explore topics including: recent buildings in Milan, Italy featuring thousands of plants and trees throughout the structure; rooftop gardens around the world; vertical farms growing yearround crops; and vertical living walls (inside or outside) featuring hundreds of plant varieties. These interesting topics are likely to seem a bit unusual to most readers, but Castaldo’s engaging, in-depth writing provides plenty of explanation and details that show why these efforts are an important part of the planet’s future.
Joshua Rees—Daly City Public Library