Chugging its way onto the bookshelves of vehicle-loving children everywhere.
Powerful locomotives, simple sentences, and vigorous sound effects propel the latest entry in the expanding Amazing Changing Pictures board-book series for toddlers.
This and companion volumes Boats Float and Fire Trucks Rescue are the latest entries in what could just as well be called the Nouns Verb series. Like Glaser’s animal-focused board books (Puppies Chase, 2017, etc.), this trio features a well-curated selection of beautiful stock photographs and short declarative sentences, assorted sounds, and occasional questions. The simple, age-appropriate text ranges from illustrative noises (“Chugga, chugga. CHOO CHOO!”) to more existential concepts: “Where does the train go? / Follow the tracks. CLICKETY-CLACK!” The sound effects make for fun reading aloud for children and caregivers alike, with easily grasped, repeatable phrases. There is a smattering of useful vocabulary in each volume and enough variety and information in each photograph to introduce other terms and concepts as well, from scenic details (mountains, rivers, and forests, for example) to the steam from the engine’s smokestack and the passengers in the train station. The book’s 14 pages are presented in two-page spreads dominated by each photo, with text arranged on thin monochromatic strips in the margin. Sound effects are set in large, bold type, reminding readers to put some oomph into their delivery. These durable books are eye-catching, engaging, and quick and painless to repeat upon request.
Chugging its way onto the bookshelves of vehicle-loving children everywhere. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: March 13, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68152-242-5
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Amicus Ink
Review Posted Online: May 27, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Other books cover the same ground. Still, the interactive possibilities, salient information, and predictable text make this...
Active toddlers will quickly figure out how to make the interactive wheels on this board book spin in tandem.
Initially part of a dump truck, with successive page turns, the raised wheels embedded in two die-cut circles cut through each page become part of a steamroller, excavator, concrete mixer, bulldozer, and more. This design works for the youngest builders, but older toddlers will wonder why the caterpillar treads of the streamroller, excavator, and crane don’t move with the wheels. The final vehicle, a crane, reveals the trick that makes the wheels turn together—a center sprocket. Two sentences of rhyming text per page provide basic information about each truck and its role on a construction site. One (seemingly arbitrarily chosen) word in each sentence is highlighted in a larger font. The name of each vehicle is also printed in enlarged type in white block letters outlined in a contrasting color. Pictures of the chunky, colorful vehicles against solid-color backgrounds give toddlers something else to talk about, but turning the pages and spinning the wheels remain the focus. The repetitive text on the recto page below the wheels quickly becomes a refrain for young readers: “Make my wheels spin. Let construction begin!”
Other books cover the same ground. Still, the interactive possibilities, salient information, and predictable text make this title road ready for the sandbox set. (Board book. 18 mos.-3)Pub Date: Feb. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-25681-9
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Jan. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
Ideal for babies and toddlers who just go, go, go! (Board book. 1-3)
Clearly labeled images of both familiar and special-use vehicles help toddlers build vocabulary.
Two introductory pages of the general category “Around town” feature 13 common modes of transportation: a bicycle, bus, taxi, tram, etc. The next pages sort things that go by function or locale: in the air, on water, at the races, plus trucks, tractors, and rescue vehicles. Building equipment and mega-machines get their own pages too. Six to 10 somewhat static two-dimensional images on each page are shown against contrasting solid-color backgrounds. Some include action to talk about—like the stunt plane shown upside down, the fishing boat with fish in a net, or the firefighter rescuing a cat. The rectangular layout and consistent placement of the labels reinforce pre-reading skills. A double-page spread highlights 13 “Vehicle colors” while avoiding sexist stereotypes. (An ice cream truck is pink; a motor scooter is purple.) A page of “Make-believe” stretches the imagination, with fanciful modes of travel: broomstick, flying carpet, fairy wings, and more. “My things that go” highlights toys that move: a trike, roller skates, a rocking horse, a paper plane, etc. The colorful images and uncluttered layout made possible by an extra-large (11 inches square) trim make this book suitable for both shared readings and independent study.
Ideal for babies and toddlers who just go, go, go! (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Feb. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4654-7959-4
Page Count: 16
Publisher: DK Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
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