Tractors

There's no doubt that children will be drawn to this attractive book because of their fascination with tractors, though they might come away with a few questions. Part of the Big Machines at Work series, this features farm and lawn tractors but also muddies the water by inserting three spreads about track-type tractors, such as bulldozers and diggers (which appear in their own books in the series). Each of the four sections of the book poses a question, with the answer found on a two-page spread featuring a photograph (blazingly bright and very attractive) of a tractor, as well as basic overview information. However, by closing the section with a broad statement such as, But tractors do other jobs, too, it lacks a sense of completeness. At the end of the day, though, this will get kids opening books and gushing appropriately.--Petty, J. B. Copyright 2014 Booklist

K-Gr 2-Offered as successors to the 1999 series of the same name (though not all of the volumes correspond), these pictorial surveys pair sharply reproduced photos of heavy-duty working vehicles with simply phrased commentary on the selected machine's common main components and functions printed in large type. The chapter heads are framed as questions, such as "What are tractors?" and "How are trains used?" The final chapter in each volume explains how that type of vehicle is "important," "useful" or some other positive quality--not that young fans of these mechanical behemoths will need any justification to pore over these big, bright images. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Whether they're being used to plow fields or push dirt and snow, tractors are important machines. Get the basics on these useful machines inside. Excerpted from Tractors by Hal Rogers All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.