Bulldozer Dreams

July 15, 2017
Do bulldozers dream of electric sheep? Philip K. Dick's might, but this bulldozer has less outre dreams. In this follow-up to Race Car Dreams (2016), the sun sets and a busy little bulldozer screeches to a halt. The ground suitably leveled, he heads home, making a pit stop at a car wash and a gas station for his rumbly tummy. After picking out a book from the library (note the forklift librarian), he finally snuggles down with his orange pylon toy and dreams of the playground that will come to pass, filled with romping kids. In this world of anthropomorphic vehicles, these are the first and last humans readers ever lay eyes on. Heavy-equipment-loving kids are no strangers to beddy-bye construction tales, but there is a kind of comfort to be found in watching the bulldozer systematically go through all the nighttime steps, from bathing to a story to a snack. Brightly colored digital art paints the cooling of the day into an array of hues as the sun sinks into the horizon. Construction fans are bound to locate this one. Other readers need not apply. (Picture book. 3-6)

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December 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 1-In the tradition of Sherri Duskey Rinker's Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site and Brianna Kaplan Sayres's Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night?, a bulldozer settles down after a full day of hard work. His vivid dream of a playground is the only time that humans appear in the brightly colored digital illustrations. In rhyming text (which is sometimes strained), he goes through familiar bedtime rituals such as a bath and a story. "He lifts up his blade./His spotlights flash on./He rolls through the gate and/lets out a yawn." Some expressions like "he exits the bay" and "punches his clutch" might teach new vocabulary. Vehicle fans will enjoy seeing a bulldozer participate in the same activities they do at bedtime, but this book doesn't bring anything new to the genre. VERDICT An acceptable read-aloud for young vehicle enthusiasts who can't get enough of construction play before shifting gears for bedtime.-Amelia Jenkins, Juneau Public Library, AK

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