The Children’s Book Review | April 27, 2017
Written by Sherri Duskey Rinker
Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
Age Range: 2 – 5 years
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Chronicle Books (2017)
ISBN-13: 978-1452152165
What to expect: Trucks, Cooperation, Rhyme, Construction Equipment
It’s time to hop out of the granny lane and hammer down in the fast lane! From the creators of the #1 bestseller Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site, comes another whiz-bang, rhyming picture book by Sherri Duskey Rinker and illustrator Tom Lichtenheld. This time it’s a rise-and-shine tale in which the trucks must start a brand new job, working together with their can-do attitudes to get the job done: The plan’s unrolled. They stare in awe—/the biggest thing they ever saw.
Sherri Duskey Rinker’s upbeat text bounces readers along on an enjoyable ride—the words roll so easily off the tongue and the onomatopoeia scattered throughout begs for readers to join in during a read-aloud session. The tone is not only set through the words and pictures, but also through pace. Sherri knows when to add moments of energy and moments of pause: It’s time to S-T-R-E-T-C-H, roll out of bed,/and gear up for the day ahead! And thanks to the inclusion of female characters like Flatbed and Skid; there is no gender bias at this construction site. Flatbed is “Mighty” and Skid is small and quick and ready to lend a hand to ‘Dozer: Bulldozer’s heavy, wide, and grand. / He’ll push and plow to clear the land . . . / but even he can use a hand!
Rendered in Neocolor wax oil pastels on Mi-Teintes paper, some of the illustrations cover double page spreads, while others offer multiple close ups to show off the emotive personas of each truck. From dawn to dusk, each page beautifully glows in varying shades to reflect the time of day.
There is no doubt that truck aficionados and gear jammers everywhere are going to be sold on this fully loaded book, but who else might enjoy it? If you’re looking for a fast and fun tale that promotes teamwork, Mighty, Mighty Construction Site is a winner! Plus, it also doubles as a bedtime book. Whachyathank?
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About Sherri Duskey Rinker
Sherri Duskey Rinker is the author of #1 New York Times bestsellers Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site and Steam Train, Dream Train. She lives in St. Charles, Illinois.
About Tom Lichtenheld
Tom Lichtenheld is the illustrator of #1 New York Times bestsellers Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site and Steam Train, Dream Train, created with Sherri Duskey Rinker, as well as Duck! Rabbit! and I Wish You More, created with Amy Krouse Rosenthal. He lives near Chicago, Illinois.
Discover more books like “Mighty, Mighty Construction Site,” written by Sherri Duskey Rinker and illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld, on The Children’s Book Review by following along with our articles tagged with Construction, Cooperation, Rhyming Text, Sherri Duskey Rinker, Tom Lichtenheld, and Trucks.