Library Book Sale - Part 1 (Children's Books About Transportation)

This weekend we attended our local library book sale, and I was delighted at both our finds and our self control.  We ended up with 8 picture books (7 hardcover and 1 seemingly brand new paperback) and spent $8.  I valiantly resisted going to the last day of the sale, during which you can fill a bag for a set price, because I found myself taking home books I really didn't want last year just to fill our bag.  

Today I'm posting reviews for the four books we bought about transportation.  I remember scrambling last year to find any, so we were thrilled about these:

Dazzling Diggers (Amazing Machines) (Paperback), by Tony Mitton. A fun, brightly illustrated paperback book about diggers. The construction crew is made up of a mouse, bird, and bunny rabbit, but I'm not sure our little guy even noticed, once he saw the diggers. The last page defines various "digger parts," such as levers, bucket, tracks and breaker. I like the amount of text per page (just right for a toddler), and that, although short, the text contains new concepts, such as using oil to fuel the digger, jacks to keep the digger steady, or a piston to make parts of the digger move around.

Excerpt:

"Diggers move rubble and rocks and soil, / so diggers need drinks of diesel oil."

Bookworm's interest at 23 months: Loves it.

Construction (First Discovery Books) (Spiral-bound), by Claude Delafosse. From back cover: "In this unique introduction to Construction, A First Discovery Book, young children can visit a construction site, find out what a mason and a joiner do, learn how a new subway is built, and marvel at the world's greatest constructions!" As soon as I opened this book, I realized that it was part of a series which includes one of the little guy's favorite books (Cars & Trucks: Scholastic First Discovery - see our review here). The story and text are slightly more detailed in this Construction one, making it suitable for older children. There are really a few stories here, loosely joined: the first about an old building being replaced, then a new subway being built, then an expressway, some shipbuilding, and lastly, a two-page spread looking at some of the world's greatest constructions. Occasional plastic pages and a 3D sort of effect to some of the illustrations add visual interest.

Excerpt:

"The old buildings are dangerous and need to be replaced. Big machines, like this front-end loader, arrive so that construction can begin."

Bookworm's interest at 23 months: So far he hasn't really grabbed onto this one the way I thought he would, but I think it's partly a matter of timing (many new books at once) and that it is better suited for a slightly older child. I think he'll love it over time.

Subway (Hardcover), by Anastasia Suen (illustrated by Karen Katz). I rode the subway to work every day while pregnant with our son (standing, usually, but that's another story). I used to think he'd be lulled by "Next stop, downtown crossing!" like other moms hope their babies will be lulled by classical music that they were exposed to in utero. And when he was an infant, I'd bundle us both up and go meet Dad for lunch. As he got a little older, he seemed to really enjoy interacting with other passengers on the subway. So I was excited to see this book, by an author whose other books we've enjoyed (Anastasia Suen) and an illustrator (Karen Katz) who needs no introduction (but, just in case, does "Where is Baby's Bellybutton ring a bell?). The text is short and simple. The excerpt, for instance, is all the text for a two page spread. The illustrations are bright and bold, with a playful (and diverse) set of subway passengers.

Excerpt:

"side by side 

in cars we ride 

ride, ride, ride 

on the subway"

Bookworm's interest at 23 months: He's wasn't wildly interested in this one. Sadly, he probably doesn't have any memory of riding the subway at this point, since we moved away from the city when he was 1. A child who rides the subway often might enjoy it more.

Parent's Peeve: I know children like repetition, so I'm a little torn on this point, but the three word repetition pattern feels a little awkward when I read it aloud. I have a similar problem with another book (Summery Saturday Morning, by Margaret Mahy - review here), and I end up sort of singing that one, and then I really like it. But I don't know if that would really work for me on this one. I'd like to hear someone else read this type of pattern aloud to see if it's just me. Youtube video anyone?

Katy and the Big Snow (Hardcover), by Virginia Lee Burton. I snatched this (near perfect) copy up as soon as I saw the author. We read The Little House (review here) by the same author around the time of Earth Day. This was originally published in 1943, and the style of the illustrations is charmingly nostalgic. "Katy" is a tractor with a bulldozer and snow plow. She belongs to the Highway Department of the City of Geoppolis. The book details all of the ways she helps the city, working on the roads with her bulldozer, rescuing a steamroller from a pond, and (most importantly) plowing everyone out of a huge snowstorm.

Excerpt:

"'Help! Emergency!' called out the doctor. 'Help me get this patient to the hospital way out in West Geoppolis.' 'Sure,' said Katy. 'Follow me.' / So Katy plowed out the roads to the hospital."

Bookworm's interest at 23 months: He made it about halfway through. Definitely better for a slightly older child (although not out of the question at all for a two year old), but this is one that I'm happy to own for when he's ready for it.

See our other reviews of children's books about transportation here.

Have you read any of these?  Did you enjoy them?  Do you attend your library's book sales?  What children's books have you enjoyed enough to buy lately?   

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