The big machines may initially draw readers, but kids will leave with a solid foundation about the immensity of large-scale...
Follow along as machines construct a skyscraper, from the ground all the way up, up, up!
In her punchy trademark one-verb-per-page style, Hurley starts off with a demolition followed by the numerous steps of building an enormous new skyscraper. Watch the excavator “dig” the foundation, the flatbed truck “haul” the beams for a crane to “raise,” and more, all the way through to the finishing touches of windows and paving. Near the last page, a change from landscape to portrait orientation finally treats readers to a complete view of the towering finished product. Occasionally, scale is difficult to ascertain in the illustrations, making it hard to perceive the building’s upward progression, though changing seasons nicely underscore that completing a project this large is a lengthy process. On each page, a new construction vehicle lumbers in, ranging from the familiar (bulldozer) to the lesser known (pile driver). The closing glossary identifying the equipment and its function will help readers connect the verbs to the machines’ tasks. The flat, digitally rendered construction vehicles, depicted in comparatively bright primary colors, stand out distinctively against the matte, mostly gray background, though the imposing vehicles feel more static than dynamic.
The big machines may initially draw readers, but kids will leave with a solid foundation about the immensity of large-scale construction. (Informational picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7001-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 29, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2018
What better way for things-that-go enthusiasts to expand their repertoire? (Informational board book. 3-6)
A handsome introduction to a variety of oceangoing watercraft for preschool readers.
With clear and uncluttered illustrations, 15 watercraft in all are presented: a sailboat, a cargo ship, a fishing boat, an aircraft carrier, a ferry, a submarine, a clipper, an oil tanker, a diving boat, a car-carrier ship, a research vessel, a police boat, and a cruise ship. Each two-page spread presents the boat in question, with its name and some information about it. As a bonus, each vessel also displays a signal flag with an accompanying explanation on the message the flag conveys. The mixed-media artwork has a clean, modern graphic sensibility that is very attractive. The book will likely appeal to a wide age range, with the youngest delighting in naming and identifying, moving on to older children, who will be interested in the information provided; those who have already started to identify letters and understand the rudiments of written communication will be fascinated by yet another coding system in the shape of signal flags. The sturdy board-book format will come in handy, as it will likely be looked at over and over again.
What better way for things-that-go enthusiasts to expand their repertoire? (Informational board book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 25, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-7148-7671-9
Page Count: 30
Publisher: Phaidon
Review Posted Online: June 10, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
A book that will encourage even the youngest of fans to keep on truckin’.
Comfort and care take a momentary hiatus as premier bibliotherapist Parr tackles a whole new world of vehicular options.
Parr opts for standard preschool fare with his pretty paean to cool trucks and cars (but mostly trucks) everywhere. His signature style, combining bright, peppy colors and thick black lines, is an apt fit for the goofy array of at least semisentient trucks on display. Readers are repeatedly informed what it is that cars and trucks “LOVE” (“to be on the road,” “to be clean,” “to help people,” and “to say good night”). Seemingly unwilling to abandon his sense of responsibility for the well-being of the world entirely, Parr includes a note at the end that encourages readers to use buses or bikes too as well as an oddly adult list of nine tips for safe driving. In addition to Parr’s customarily offbeat color scheme, there’s a bit of an edge to this outing, making it an oddly refreshing read. Whether it’s the distinctly pointy teeth on the monster and ski-patrol trucks, the pizza truck that advertises itself as “Home of the Stinky Pot Pie” (its proprietor is a skunk), or the free-flying tighty whities and other undies on the top of a laundry truck, there’s much here to amuse both younger and older vehicle fans.
A book that will encourage even the youngest of fans to keep on truckin’. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 24, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-50662-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2018
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