Big, Bigger, and Biggest Trucks and Diggers

December 1, 2008
K-Gr 3-Licensed by Caterpillar Inc., this oversize picture book arranges CAT earthmovers in terms of sizea system well suited for kids. It covers 12 machines listed in ascending order. All share the common purpose of moving the earth by lifting, pushing, digging, or scooping. Placed atop solid-hue backgrounds, each truck and digger is presented on a spread in a diagram style with labeled captions. Large, clear photographs are the focal point of each page. Arrows call attention to important machine features and areas of interest, and key terms appear in boldface. Floating sidebars provide additional details and images, often in close-up. Sentences are clear and basic enough, but the coverage is not uniform. Some pages list the weight and dimensions of the earthmover, while others do not. Additionally, there is no standard scale to show the size of each machine in relation to humans. The foldout introduction lines up the machines to show their relative sizes but that aspect is not followed through in the individual descriptions. Nonethless, "Big, Bigger, and Biggest" is an information-rich and visually appealing title that should thrill young fans of big machines. A companion DVD shows the earthmovers in action."Travis Jonker, Dorr Elementary School, MI"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.