Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Greene restages the "Over in the Meadow" counting song using families of trucks at a construction site: "Over by the dirt pile, tipping loads all set to pour,/ works a mama dump truck with her little dumpers four." Other crews include "a mama cement mixer with her little mixers six" and "a papa asphalt paver with his little pavers nine." In digitally colored ink drawings, Kirk gives the trucks anthropomorphic features and accessories, albeit fairly stereotypical ones-eyelashes and hair bows for many of the ladies, ball caps and bandannas for the boys-and takes care to space out the vehicles in such a way that they are easily countable. Showing the gentler side of construction sites and big rigs, Greene and Kirk's excursion should satisfy young truck-lovers. Ages 2-5. Author's agent: Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown. Illustrator's agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-A clever reimagining of "Over in the Meadow" featuring different families of construction trucks busy attending the daily shores by a dirt pile. Parent trucks must show the little ones the important tasks they all have at the construction site. Mama bulldozer shows her little dozer the ropes: "'Push!' says the mama. 'I push!' says the one./So they push oosh oosh in the sizzling summer sun." Papa excavator shows his two little excavators how to dig. The assignments differ as papa wheel loader shows his three little loaders how to scoop, mama dump truck teaches her four little dumpers that they must spill, etc. It is a great learning experience for all the little trucks, who, after a long and arduous day of work, are ready for some lullabies and then to say good night. Greene is in tune with preschoolers and has created a sensitive rhyming and counting book with an asymmetrical composition that plays with the organization of the text's layout and the illustrations. The text flows naturally, providing enough repetition for an interactive setting and abundant vocabulary to enrich preschoolers' language skills. Additionally, the expressive, bright illustrations, made with a fusion of black ink drawings and digitally added colors, relate to the text and will inspire children's imagination. VERDICT This appealing picture book will work well in classrooms and storytimes and as a bedtime read. Bound to circulate often.-Kathia Ibacache, Simi Valley Public Library, CA © Copyright 2017. 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
Over by the dirt pile in the sizzling summer sun / works a mama bulldozer with her little dozer ONE." Each of ten taut rhymes (which follow the scheme of "Over in the Meadow") spotlights a parent-truck-and-offspring collaboration. Catchy rhymes, cheerful-looking trucks with individualizing features, onomatopoeia ("moosh moosh"), words that stutter ("s-s-swoop s-s-swup")--what preschooler would turn away? (c) Copyright 2017. 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
Anthropomorphic mother and father construction trucks teach their young ones how to do their jobs in this counting book/singalong.Over by the dirt pile in the sizzling summer sun / works a mama bulldozer with her little dozer ONE. / Push! says the mama. I push! says the one. / So they push oosh oosh in the sizzling summer sun. The tune (Over in the Meadow) is a familiar one, especially since so many recent books use it in similar fashion, but the addition of the sound effects (strange as some may seem) is a nice touch that will be appreciated by storytime audiences. Both mother and father trucks are pictured, and gender is delineated with accessories (all stereotypical), eyelashes (only on the mothers), and the relative thickness of eyebrows. A few wear glasses, and one wears a patch over one eye. The equipment includes excavators, wheel loaders, dump trucks, pipe layers, cement mixers, cranes, graders, asphalt pavers, and steamrollers. At the end of their hard day, they celebrate, hose off, and snuggle in for lullabies. Though those reading aloud may stumble over a few verses with off rhythms, little ones who love construction sites may be too busy poring over the digitally colored ink drawings of their favorite trucks to notice. Painless counting practice for construction-truck fans. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
