Built to Last by Dan Santat and Minh Lê

In this beautiful picture book, two boys want to build something that will last, but their final product is not what they first expect.

Built to Last by Dan Santat and Minh Lê. Knopf, 2024. 40 pages.

• Reading Level: Picture books, Ages 4-8
• Recommended For: Ages 4-8

Two boys are building something—something big, something that will stand the test of time. But when it all comes crashing down…then what?

Like their book Drawn Together, which I just loved, Built to Last intersperses “real life” (the building and creating) with flights of imagination (the boys’ creations coming to life). Lavishly colored and full of subtle detail, the illustrations show the two realities merging into one reality. Truly, the product of the two boys working together is far superior to each working on his own. When that reality teeters, can the friendship survive?

There’s not a lot of “story” in this beautiful book, but the illustration of a friendship growing fuller and richer as the two friends grow up is worth honoring. Children will enjoy watching the boys’ LEGO and Tinker Toys creations spring into life, and they will commiserate with each Bang! and Crash! as various attempts to make something bigger and better end in rubble. The boys’ determination at the end to continue building their friendship even after a fractured moment is one from which we can all benefit. And in the end, it’s the friendship they’ve built that is “built to last.”

Remember, unless a book is starred, a review is not necessarily a recommendation. Read more about our ratings here.

Recommended Reading at Redeemed Reader

• Book Review: Drawn Together, by the same duo, is marvelous: a boy and a grandfather learn much about one another through drawing together.
• Book Review: This reminded me of another lovely book about childhood friendship by one of my favorite children’s poets: I Don’t Care by Julie Fogliano.
• Resource: We’re so fortunate to have a collection of essays by the late Gladys Hunt here on Redeemed Reader. Minh Lê and Dan Santat are two illustrators I enjoy seeking out; Gladys Hunt has a few more to recommend!

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