The Construction Crew

October 10, 2011
Truck and construction fans will find an energetic exploration of both in this square-format volume, Meltzer and Eko-Burgess’s children’s book debut. Working in synch, the text and pictures deliver a streamlined chronicle of the building of a house. Crisp, electric digital illustrations spotlight vehicles, construction equipment, and workers who resemble fleshed-out Lego characters—the entire project has a “toys come to life” feel. Akin to a high-energy cheerleading routine, the rhyming text offers variations on the same question (“Tons of dirt/ And lots of muck/ What do we need?/ DUMP TRUCK!/ Pour the foundation—/ That’ll fix ‘er/ What do we need?/ CEMENT MIXER!”), a narrative device that will have children shouting out the answers in no time. After the vehicles and workers have done their jobs and a moving truck delivers furniture, the story diverts from its construction angle as the house becomes a home, and the family welcomes visitors: “New friends/ Swapping favors/ What do we need?/ CHEERFUL NEIGHBORS!” Ample fun for truck lovers and those interested in learning about what it takes to build a house from the ground up. Ages 3–5.

October 1, 2011
A rollicking, rhyming salute to a construction crew and the equipment they use to demolish an old building and construct a family home in its stead. Preschool teacher Meltzer knows what children want, and she delivers with a debut that allows them to participate in the reading fun. Using the rhymes and visual clues, listeners are sure to be shouting the answers aloud: "This old building's / Ready to fall / What do we need? / WRECKING BALL!" From excavator and bulldozer to backhoe, dump truck and cement mixer, the rhymes hold up until the very last page (depending on individuals' pronunciation of "poem"). Once the big equipment's finished, the crew breaks out the hammer and nails, a cherry picker, a power drill, extension ladders and, at last, the moving truck that signals the final product. Eko-Burgess' simple shapes and sparse details suit the intended preschool audience, while the vibrant colors and up-close views make this a good choice for read-alouds, despite the smallish trim size. And while the rather cookie-cutter oval-faced crew lacks personality, they are representative of several ethnicities, genders and ages. Bulldoze a spot on the shelf for this one. (Picture book. 2-5)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

December 1, 2011

PreS-Somewhat reminiscent of Donald Crews's graphic-art style, this book follows the building of a house. Bold primary colors depict construction machines and a crew and its tools, one after another, page by page, as they go about razing an old building, excavating for a new foundation, and eventually constructing a new house. The last vehicle pictured is a moving truck. The rhyming text has a single couplet per page: "Dig now/Build later/What do we need?/EXCAVATOR." Although there are plenty of "big machine" books out there, this one has the added unifying theme of showing the steps in chronological order. Simple and colorful, it should be a hit at toddler and preschool storytimes-Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2011
Preschool-K After a wrecking ball demolishes an old building, workers arrive to excavate the site and build a house there. When the construction is complete, the family moves into their new home and cheerful neighbors welcome them. The upbeat, rhythmic text appearing on each double-page spread provides narration as well as a repeated question ( What do we need? ) for young listeners to answer, as in Move that boulder / Away we go / What do we need? / BACKHOE! The simple cheerleader-style rhymes are well matched by the strong digital illustrations, in which clearly delineated forms bring structure and energy to every scene. Peopled with toylike manikins, the illustrations feature construction machinery and tools, often depicted in Kool-Aid-bright colors. On the orange endpapers, small pictures of trucks offer young children the fun of identifying each one all over again. An upbeat choice for kids fascinated by construction workers and their equipment.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)