Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Clement's sophomore picture book should delight truck lovers every bit as much as its predecessor, Drive (2008). Over the course of a day on the job, a burly construction foreman, referred to only as "Boss," makes good on his name and bosses around a bulldozer, excavator, dump truck, and other vehicles. "Boss says, ¿Scoop that rock,' " and a loader moves in, "slides its bucket and takes a big scoop." Featuring the same brand of bold digital artwork seen in Drive, this book also makes excellent use of perspective to play up the machines' immensity and power; when Boss commands a crane to "Lift that stone!" readers get a worm's-eye view of the action from behind his boot, his shadow in the dirt showing him with his arms raised like a minor god. While no children appear until the end (when it's revealed that all this hard work has gone into making a community park), it's in no way a problem: Boss is the ultimate reader surrogate, wielding unquestioned power over the mightiest of machines. What more could a kid want? Ages 2-6. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Toddler-PreS-Young fans of construction vehicles are sure to appreciate the realistic depictions of a working construction site, with a bulldozer, excavator, loader, dump truck, compactor, mixer, and crane each making an appearance as the site boss orders them to level piles, scoop gravel, and pour cement. Bright digital art keeps the focus on the tasks at hand in this board book edition of a picture book originally published in 2011. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Boss says, 'Dig a hole!' / And the excavator tips its bucket and starts to dig." A foreman's commands to the operators of seven different trucks at a construction site result in a lovely park. The digital art succeeds at reflecting the vastness of the project's scope. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
In his debut, Drive (2008), Clement profiled a single 18-wheeler and its driver; here he explores the ever-popular realm of construction trucks. Unlike many similarly themed books, which focus on humans,this one details the part each truck plays in a single job, with the final spread showing a completed park. Throughout, the pointed finger and other hand signs of the African-American "Boss" direct the trucks to their respective duties. "Boss says, 'Pour a slab.' / And the mixer swings its trough and pours cement." About half the time children are given the opportunity to guess which truck will be needed for the job before a page turn reveals the answer. The highlighted trucks include a bulldozer, excavator, loader, dump truck, compactor, mixer and crane. While the text does not rhyme, it has a welcome simplicity that suits younger readers just as well, even as it uses real vocabulary for the trucks and their parts. The computer-rendered illustrations, while sometimes seeming flat in perspective, nonetheless have crisp, clean lines with bold, rich colors and textures appropriate to earth, gravel and cement. The large format of the book itself, as well as alternating views of long shots and close-ups of trucks makes this a good choice for group sharing. Pair this with Sally Sutton's Roadwork (2008) for a similar treatment of a different job site. (Picture book. 2-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
