Tag: big vehicles

Snakes On The Job (Kathryn Dennis)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is Snakes On The Job by Kathryn Dennis, a delightful look at how different work vehicles come together to complete a job.

As the workday begins for some very busy snakes, they all pile into their equally hardworking vehicles: cranes, bulldozers, dump trucks, forklifts, and excavators, to name a few. The engines go vROOM and, much like the snakes themselves, “Hisssssssssssssh goes the sound of the brakes”. Each subsequent page explains the function of the individual trucks, showing how cranes lift big objects into place, backhoes dig holes for posts, and food trucks keep everyone fed, all while the snakes work together on a massive project: a playground for everyone to enjoy!

Loads of fun. Dennis’s illustrations utilize simple shapes and colorblock figures against mostly white backgrounds to achieve a bright and vivid world without being overstimulating. The cheerful rhyming text does a fantastic job of tying the book’s elements together, concisely explaining the vehicles while also emphasizing the importance of teamwork and sharing, and the onomatopoeic refrain is delightful, especially for young snake lovers. The length is great for preschool-age or younger bookworms, and JJ and I had a blast reading it. This is a great read for little builders, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

I Love You For Miles And Miles (Alison Goldberg)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is I Love You For Miles And Miles, written by Alison Goldberg and illustrated by Mike Yamada, a unique vehicle-themed ode to the love between a mother and child.

A mother bear and her cub (no gender is specified for the latter) have a bond like no other. Her love for her baby is longer than the longest train, whose cars can stretch for miles and miles. It’s faster than the fastest fire truck, rushing to the rescue whenever she’s needed. It’s bigger than the biggest truck, and higher than the highest airplane, and steadier than the steadiest tugboat. And just like the vehicles, it’s always up to the task of helping, protecting, and caring for her little one.

This was pretty darn cute. Motherly love is certainly a theme that has no shortage of picture books, but I liked the twist of using big vehicles to describe a mother’s love – rather than a father’s – to a child of no specific gender. Big vehicle books are often geared towards boys only, and it’s nice that there’s some flexibility here that allows for girls and moms to learn about vehicles while celebrating parental bonds. The illustrations are fine, highlighting the vehicles and the bears’ relationship in visually energetic ways and mostly bright colors. The length is good too, and JJ liked it, so this one is Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

The Mixed-Up Truck (Stephen Savage)

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Hello, everybody! Today’s book is The Mixed-Up Truck by Stephen Savage, a light and fun story about a little cement mixer doing his best to help.

It’s Cement Mixer’s first day on the job at the construction site, and he’s ready to help! He asks the other trucks what he can do for them, and they suggest he load up with fine powdered cement and mix it up into liquid cement for them. He does as they ask, but gets his powder mixed up: instead of cement, he mixes up flour instead and makes a cake! He tries again, but this time he confuses sugar for the cement and makes frosting! Can little Cement Mixer get UN-mixed-up in time to help build the building?

This book was short, simple, but definitely fun. Mixer’s eagerness to help, even through his mistakes, is sweet and provides a good opportunity to teach children about paying attention to details and not rushing through tasks. The illustrations are very cute, and JJ definitely enjoyed the anthropomorphic “twucks.” The length is short enough for even very small bookworms, and overall, it’s a great little story about perseverance. Baby Bookworm approved!

Mighty, Mighty Construction Site (Sherri Duskey Rinker & Tom Lichtenheld)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is the charming Mighty, Mighty Construction Site, written by Sherri Duskey Rinker and illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld, a fun and informative story about construction vehicles, cooperation, and teamwork.

The team from Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site wakes up to a brand new day, stretching, fueling up and getting ready to build. When they unfurl the blueprint, they are in awe; it’s their biggest project yet! They’re not sure that their little five-vehicle team can do it alone, so they call in help: a whole fleet of construction vehicles and heavy machinery! All the machines work together to build their project, each one bringing something special to the job. And when the day is done, they may be worn out, but by working together, they’ve gotten the job done in no time flat.

This was a phenomenal book for little readers who are interested in big vehicles! In cheerful rhyming text, each machine is named and has a description of the function they perform, including some trucks I’d never even heard of! I also love that beyond the vehicles themselves, hard work and cooperation are stressed as main themes, showing children that everyone brings something to the table and working together is the best way to achieve one’s goals. The illustrations are adorable, and give endearing personality to each machine. The length is good, and JJ and I enjoyed it! Rinker and Lichtenheld’s collaborations are always a delight, and this one does not disappoint. Baby Bookworm approved!