Sand Castle Bash!

Jon Scieszka's Sand Castle Bash! Counting from 1 to 10
by
Hunter McKown, David Shannon, Loren Long, and David Gordon.
board book.
ages 0-4.

This book features a supergroup of author/illustrators in a "git 'er done"! redneck sand castle building and SMASHING contest featuring Trucktown characters. Yee-haw! Boys and girls will love it (but maybe not Grandma)! Librarians might have to shush their excited readers. It is sandcastle building adventure, and best of all - knocking the castles down when done!

Fun! Fun! Fun!

I will have to rush to read the next adventure starting these active trucks.

Trucks and Diggers

Let's Look: Trucks and Diggers: Essential Preschool Learning
(Dorling Kindersley)
by Hannah Wilson
nonfiction board book
ages 1-4

This DK book features bright photography and fairly technical language for a board book. When I say it uses technical language what I mean is that the correct terms are used for each of the construction equipment that is pictured and the parts of the equipment are identified. The Thomas the Tank Engine series is for little kids but it uses complicated train jargon. The same with this book. I don't know exactly what a harvester or scraper or grader does and I don't know the difference between kinds of fire trucks, but if I paid attention and read a number of these nonfiction books about vehicles I could learn.
At about 36 pages this is thicker than the average board book as well, but priced the same as a thinner book ($5.99).
Trucks and Diggers shows trucks, miscellaneous vehicles for hauling, emergency vehicles, plows, trailers, construction equipment, and more. There are quizzes so the child can identify what is on a page ("I spy") and at the end there is a match-the-shape-to-the-vehicle game that was more challenging than I expected. (Is that the shape of the space shuttle)?
For kids who love things that move and wheels that go around, this is a good starter book. It would make a good birthday present paired with a Tonka truck or other toy.
DK (Dorling Kindersley) and Usborne books are among my favorite books for children with the way they feature excellent photography and easy to read fonts.

Big Yellow Trucks and Diggers Colors: Caterpillar

Big Yellow Trucks and Diggers Colors: Caterpillar
series design by Paul Kepple
book design by Kristine Brogno
board book
ages 2-5
Caterpillar equipment is on the job! This series features photographs of genuine Caterpillar movers and shakers doing what they do best - work! This book in the series focuses on the colors of the construction site - green hat, yellow Caterpillar, gray gravel, and more. It is shameless advertising for the company, but so is the M & M counting book, Cheerios counting book, etc.
Since I know one Caterpillar engineer and there is going to be a distribution center in my neighborhood, I am okay with this.

Scoop that Snow!

Scoop that Snow!
Jon Scieszka's Trucktown
by
David Shannon, Loren Long, and David Gordon
Children's Fiction
ages 1-4
boardbook

What's not to love about a book that has a window with plastic flake snow that a child can shake and sparkly glitter snow on the inside? This book features and enthusiastic tractor snow plow and a dump truck having a ton of fun clearing the streets of snow.
This sturdy book should appeal to many Tonka lovers and should hold up pretty well with heavy library usage until the plastic window is punctured.
This is less sarcastic and with broader appeal than some others in the series.