LET'S BUILD

This construction book knocks down the fourth wall faster than a wrecking ball.

What’s better than an interactive picture book filled with critters? The answer is so obvious it may seem inevitable: an interactive picture book filled with construction critters! At the start, a beaver foreman urges young readers to knock on the hard hat across the gutter twice before helping with the work. From there, children are urged to clap, point, swing, blow, and generally engage with the book physically. The animals are building something, and they need all the help they can get. There’s even a bit of narrative tension, as when the cement mixer’s drum stops spinning and needs a bit of a shake to get going or when the excavator requires help piercing the hard dirt. As each piece of equipment is a different color, those words are highlighted within the declarative statements and instructions to readers. There’s even a nod to environmental enthusiasts with the planting of new trees along the paved road. In the end, a new park has been created, and the last instruction is to “Pat yourself on the back for a job well done.” Sturdy, reinforced pages are filled with brightly colored animals and machines that can stand up to a little physical pounding.

Young construction enthusiasts will be in heaven.