Tag: construction vehicles

Bedtime For Little Bulldozer (Elise Broach)

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Hello, friends! Our book for today is Bedtime For Little Bulldozer, written by Elise Broach and illustrated by Barry E. Jackson, a familiar bedtime tale with an oddball twist.

Little Bulldozer – a slightly scaled-down bulldozer with human parents – is ready for bedtime. He’s had his hugs, his bath, brushed his teeth, and is all snuggled into bed. Just one problem – he’s not in the least bit tired! He tries a few different methods of getting to sleep: checking under his bed (and accidentally knocking it over), assembling his stuffed animals for an impromptu storytime, even attempting to sneak downstairs. Each time, his parents catch him and attempt to settle him back down, but sleep eludes him still. At last, he decides to sneak down the hall to his sisters’ room; there, no longer alone, he is able to build a nest on the floor and go to sleep.

This hits some pretty tried and true beats for a “going to bed” book, and in a way that is creative for young readers and laughably familiar for parents. And while parents may question how two humans managed to have three construction vehicles as kids (Bulldozer’s sisters are an excavator and a steamroller), kids will likely just giggle at the absurdity of the situation and of Bulldozer’s antics. The soft-focus, dreamlike quality of the art makes it perfect for a bedtime book, and nicely imagines how a bulldozer might fit into human life. The length is great, and JJ enjoyed it – this one was fun. 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!