Certainly, there is sufficient vocabulary to make this the Goodnight, Moon of construction books.
Heavy machinery explained, for lovers of heavy machinery.
This primer for aspiring readers with penchants for large, motorized construction rigs introduces five familiar vehicles that push, carry, lift, churn, and dig. A few lines of simple, rhymed text name each machine and describe its function opposite a succession of illustrated pages die-cut in the shapes of the larger and larger pieces of heavy equipment they depict. Each slightly anthropomorphized truck looks powerful yet friendly. Every illustration features four vocabulary words for specific parts of the vehicle in question. Toddlers learn to name bulldozers, dump trucks, cranes, cement mixers, and excavators as well as a few of the most prominent features of each, including treads, scoops, engines, cabs, hoppers, outriggers, and booms. Depending upon a child’s age and interest level, the book can be a quick read or an opportunity for pointing, naming, questions, and answers. Rhymed text appears on backgrounds of several varied hues. The illustrations, on the other hand, each share the same dark purple background. As the book contains no previous mention or depiction of sunlight or time of day, readers unfamiliar with the blockbuster picture book this is based on may be confused when the final rhyme announces nightfall. Nevertheless, a happily snoozing moon nestled in the scoop of an excavator should invite yawns and an easy transition to bedtime.
Certainly, there is sufficient vocabulary to make this the Goodnight, Moon of construction books. (Board book. 1-5)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4521-6476-2
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 17, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018
More game than substance.
A large-format board book with sliding, matching-game–style panels featuring things that move on land, sea, and by air.
This one is fodder for young readers who love everything on wheels. As in Babin’s Animals, illustrated by Julie Mercier (2018), this book includes a series of panels that allow for a matching game, wherein four sets of matching pairs are hidden behind sliding windows. The left-hand side of each double-page spread shows brightly-colored cartoon animals riding in or on the vehicles while the game is presented on the right-hand side. Each transportation set includes directives for ways to engage with the book (“Can you name and find all the vehicles that are yellow, red, or green?”), but they vary little from page to page and mostly follow the same predictable format. The “In the Sky” page features some unusual modes of transportation such as a hydroplane and paraglider, likely unfamiliar to younger readers (and not included in the matching game). The book provides opportunities to point to and name items, similar to a picture dictionary. It’s really less book and more game, which, while entertaining, does become repetitive for adults. It’s a good choice for travel and even for keeping little hands busy at a restaurant, because it is really something to play with rather than something to read.
More game than substance. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2019
ISBN: 978-2-40801-283-0
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Twirl/Chronicle
Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A well-curated things-that-go abecederary.
An alphabet-based vocabulary builder organized on the theme of “things that go.”
It’s tough rating one book of this sort “outstanding” in contrast to the countless similar offerings on the market, but this one rates at least a “pretty good.” The presentation is appealing in its simplicity. Each of the 26 pages features its respective letter in both upper- and lowercase; these are hand-lettered in a blocky print and colored to contrast with the background. Each letter appears with a vehicle, name clearly printed on the page; in all but one case, the vehicle begins with the corresponding letter. The bright, colorful artwork is not particularly realistic, but it hits all the right signals for easy recognition by toddlers. All of the old favorites are featured: ambulance, bulldozer, digger, and helicopter, for example, but part of the book’s appeal is in its thoughtful vocabulary-expanding selections as well. Cc is for “carriage,” for example, Ee is for “electric car,” and Gg is for “galleon,” for example. Many of the vehicles are alphabetized by modifiers that denote function (“ice-cream truck”), appearance (“jumbo jet”), or ownership (“naval ship”). Wondering about Qq and Xx? Think “Queen Mary” (the ship, not the monarch) and “express train” (the only vehicle whose name doesn’t begin with the letter it illustrates).
A well-curated things-that-go abecederary. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Dec. 24, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0815-3
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Review Posted Online: Dec. 17, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020
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