The digger dance

The digger dance

Judy Ann Sadler, 1959-

Book - 2022

"A young boy is highly skeptical when his grandmother tells him that the machines at the nearby construction can dance, and he wants to see this for himself. But there are setbacks. and the child has to be patient and fill the time in other ways --- ploughing through books, digging through the toy box, building and bulldozing. When Grandma decides to bake, the child eagerly joins in, because Baking is almost as good as watching diggers. / We line up our equipment and we're ready! This very imaginative child turns baking into a great opportunity to do all sorts of digger-related actions I try to scoop sugar, but it's hard as a rock. / I have some excavating to do! / My arm is a high hoe, my hand holds a bucket. / I scrape and ...thump to crush all the lumps, / then shovel smooth sugar into the bowl. Finally, just as the cookies go in the oven, the skies clear, and the child is off! And in a wonderful run of text and art, the diggers come to life: One digger dips low, another lifts high. / They dig and load. / They bend, then rise ... This way, that way, together, apart. They dip, they swing, they dump, they spin! They pound and push, they shovel and roll! ... turning, spinning, bowing, bending ... It turns out that yes, indeed, the diggers do dance! And then, a satisfying surprise ending that brings us back to the cookies, as the child does a digger dance, all the way home. Features a warm, loving, intergenerational relationship between a boy and his grandmother. Component of social and emotional learning, as the child must practice patience and self-regulation during the long wait, and cope with small disappointments when the diggers aren't working. The words dance off the page in this energetic read-aloud, and the feeling of dancing is enhanced by the rhythm of the text."--

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Subjects
Bulldozers > Juvenile fiction.
Trucks > Juvenile fiction.
Imagination > Juvenile fiction.
Baking > Juvenile fiction.
Families > Juvenile fiction.
Picture books.
Genres
Picture books
Published
Toronto : Owlkids Books 2022.
Language
English
Main Author
Judy Ann Sadler, 1959- (author)
Other Authors
Yong Ling Kang (illustrator)
Physical Description
34 unnumbered pages : color illustrations ; 29 cm
ISBN
9781771474535
Contents unavailable.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

In an immersive, movement-forward readaloud, Sadler explores imagination and imitation as an exuberant young construction fan discovers the grace of enormous excavators. About a nearby work site, "Grandma says the diggers dance." But the grandchild must wait for work hours and better weather to see them. In the meantime, the intergenerational duo, both portrayed with tan skin, parallel the machines at home, turning cookie-making into a construction project: "My arm is a high hoe," says the child, preparing to scoop sugar, "my hand holds a bucket." At last, the weather clears and the two venture outside. Digitally enhanced watercolor and pencil spreads by Kang zoom in on buckets that sweep and plunge as the child mimics their movements. The itchy suspense of the waiting sequence rings true, and in Kang's hands, the making of cookies offers nearly as much dynamism as the excavators. Ages 3--7. (Oct.)

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

Let's explore the graceful side of construction. The protagonist of this book is captivated by the construction equipment in a field across the street from Grandma's suburban home. Grandma informs the child that the diggers dance, but the young narrator isn't so sure about that. Do diggers dance? Sadly, it will be a while before that question is answered. When the book opens, it's too late to see any action, and rainy weather stops construction the next morning. Thankfully, Grandma is prepared, and she's all set to bake cookies. The protagonist helps--with a little imaginative play along the way that relates to construction. While the cookies are baking, the sky clears, and the child sets out for the construction site, where the diggers are "dancing" as they complete the project efficiently. The story provides an interesting look at the graceful movements needed for effective construction and demolition, and the watercolor and pencil illustrations help to capture that beauty. The typography attempts to keep up, with words bending and bowing around the page; opinions will differ on whether it succeeds, but overall the story will appeal to construction fans. Savvy storytellers will use some of the action words--dip, swing, pound, and dump--to introduce and reinforce vocabulary building. The protagonist is light-skinned with dark hair, while Grandma is light-skinned with gray hair. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A well-constructed view of construction. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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