Construction Site on Christmas Night

September 1, 2018
A jolly team of trucks rushes to build a firehouse in time for Christmas.With a big-city skyline in the background, Bulldozer clears the way for Excavator to dig the foundation. Cement Mixer, Dump Truck, and Crane Truck all do their parts for a brand-new fire station. As each ends his day (not one of these anthropomorphized trucks is gendered female, unfortunately), a special gift just for him awaits, with a thank-you card attached from the trucks' unseen human crew. Rinker tells the story in rhyming couplets set in sans serif type that moves along with the trucks: "An icy wind blows in his face / but Dump Truck revs to keep the pace. / His back is sore, his tires are shot, / but Dump Truck gives it all he's got...." Emulating Tom Lichtenheld's style for this companion to the perennial bestseller, Ford's colored-pencil illustrations in soft, rich tones vary between full double-page spreads and framed insets, shifting focus from each truck's individual effort to the overall task at hand. The entire story is framed by spreads front and back that show the trucks asleep, ending with the words that are repeated throughout: "Merry Christmas! And...goodnight." A crescent moon smiles benevolently above all.A lovely book that ties the Christmas message of friendship and generosity to the satisfaction of a job well-done. (Picture book. 3-7)

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September 24, 2018
Christmas has arrived at the construction site, and the trucks are finishing up their hard work building a special house. As night comes and snow falls, each truck receives a special gift. Writing in upbeat couplets, Rinker describes each truck’s duties. “Cement Mixer has concrete to pour:/ he lays the foundation, walls, and floor.” By introducing the trucks individually, Rinker allows the excitement of each finding their gifts to resonate every time. Finally, their work is done, and fire trucks roll into “a new home, built just right.” Ford’s oil crayon renderings of the trucks are gently expressive. Truck lovers will gladly welcome the friendly rigs for Christmas. Ages 3–5.

October 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 1-Rinker is back with her construction vehicles prepping for the holidays. The rhyming text follows how the machines work hard to construct a "special house" that must be ready for Christmas Eve. Each machine is allotted three or four pages to describe their work, before being given a gift (Bulldozer gets a new carbon steel blade), and then bidden Merry Christmas and Goodnight. Once Crane finishes the job by topping the construction with a star, new fire trucks and rescue vehicles roll in, and readers realize what has been built: a new fire station. As usual, these happy trucks are anthropomorphized just enough to appeal to kids. The neocolor wax oil crayon illustrations offer bright colors and scenes that are engaging without being overwhelming, ending with peaceful, snowy scenes. Although this is a bit lengthy for toddler audiences, children will love shouting out the names of the vehicles and the parts they are gifted, as well as guessing what they're creating. VERDICT Rinker's popularity makes this holiday title a first purchase for all public libraries. It's perfect for one-on-one and small group sharing.-Liz Anderson, DC Public Library

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