CONSTRUCTION SITE

Introducing a new category of working vehicles to appeal to airport enthusiasts.

Six construction machines—whom readers may recognize from previous titles in this wildly popular series—wait in a lengthy traffic jam. A huge control tower dominates the landscape, but the airport isn’t big enough for its region. The trucks will help build a necessary addition. A clever elevation sketch with white lines indicates exactly where the extension will go and what it will look like. Planes and additional specialized vehicles are shown in an overview, and one by one the construction machines—and readers—meet Rubber Removal Machine, Jumbo Jet, De-icing Truck, and more. Crane Truck comments that Lift Truck enjoys doing similar work: “I see you like to lift things, too!” Although a spring snowstorm that comes out of nowhere results in a lot of extra work (“Snow-Removal Team, let’s roll!”), a sudden announcement that the “giant job’s COMPLETE” (no overtime or overruns?) may be the only unrealistic element here. All ends in new friendships and hard-earned sleep. Energetic rhymes lift off easily, and bright, detailed illustrations personalizing the vehicles connect to those in earlier volumes. This series’ booming construction industry shows no signs of a slowdown. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

While firmly grounded, this book will send many small fans soaring.