HARD HAT HANK AND THE SKY-HIGH SOLUTION

Engineering alone can’t solve this unusual construction problem.

Hank the canine, looming over his three-dog crew, “always knows what to do.” The others drive “the dozer, the dump truck, the digger,” but Hank scans the blueprints, as well as surveying, measuring, hammering, doing engine repairs, and teaching the others a welding technique. The team members are raising the one-piece roof when they see a nest: Two birds that have been observing the work (flip back to spot them!) have built themselves a home. Hank wants to banish the birds to a distant tree, but surprisingly the crew spontaneously improvises a worker-scarecrow to protect the nest, giving Hank time to notice the eggs inside. Hank rethinks, replans, and graciously thanks the team as the birds enjoy their new green roof (which is made of materials that allow plants to flourish, per the backmatter). Well-chosen rhymes flow naturally and will help beginning readers with tricky words (stuff/rough). In the lively cartoon illustrations, the dogs wear work gloves, work boots, goggles, and hard hats. Orange, red, and yellow complement gray-blue washes. Scale is happily sacrificed to clarity, and the crew’s lunch atop a dangling I-beam cleverly references the famous 1932 Rockefeller Center steelworkers photo. Backmatter instructions for making a planter will require adult guidance. Construction fans and environmentalists alike will be hankering for Hank!

Readers will eagerly follow along as this kindly, adroit, and eco-friendly builder leads the way.