Books about vehicles
Do
you have a child in your life who loves cars, trucks or any kind of
vehicle? It is not surprising that there are so many books about
vehicles because kids do love them! Here are a few new ones to check
out.
Dig Dig Digging ABC by Margaret Mayo, illustrated by Alex
Ayliffe
An alphabet book of vehicles from ambulance to quad bike to
zooming rocket, each vehicle has some action associated with it; whizzing,
scooting, cruising and chugging their way across the page. An entertaining read
for active young ones, but not the best alphabet book around.
Motor Goose, Poems
by Rebecca Colby, illustrated by Jef Kaminsky
Imagine popular mother goose rhymes rewritten with trucks,
boats, trains and planes cast as the main characters. For example, instead of
Mary Had a Little Lamb, we now have Barry Was a Little Sub. And Hey Digger
Digger replaces Hey Diddle Diddle. If you have a little one who is obsessed
with vehicles, this is the book for her!
Truckeroo School
by David Kirk
Talk about imagination! In this made-up world are a myriad
of monsters, each unique in looks and personality. And each monster is given
tools at birth to build his/her own truck. The trucks fit the needs and
personalities of their owners. Kirk has invented a world that any child would
want to visit!
Monster Trucks by Joy Keller, illustrations by Misa Saburi
Short verses of poetry tell the tale of the monsters who
drive the trucks, from the witches who drives a street sweeper to the swamp
monster who hauls slimy muck in her truck, there are a plethora of monsters
hard at work all day. But, when the day ends, they go home to their beds just
as good girls and boys should do.
Books about living in a family
Books
about family life are also popular. We often find ourselves in these
books, whether it is the structure of the family, the way the family
behaves or the race/ethnicity that we can identify with, it is always
good to see a facsimile of yourself in print. And don't we all have at
least one monkey brother?
Rudas Ninos:
Horrendous Hermanitas by Yuyi Morales
The wrestling champion from Yuyi Morales’ first book Nino is set for a comeback when his twin
baby sisters step in and vie for the glory. Using all the weapons in their
arsenal, including stinky diapers and teething tantrums, the younger sisters
soon rule the roost. But, Nino comes out on top again by using a book to
distract these rude younger sisters. Displaying her playful imagination,
Morales tells a story that many parents and older siblings can relate to.
Monkey Brother by
Adam Auerbach
Are you having sibling problems at your house? Does little
brother act like a monkey? Narrated in the first-person voice of the older
brother, this tale recounts the common woes of older brothers and sisters
everywhere. Who wants a little brother who gets into everything, has too much
energy and follows you everywhere? But, there are some up sides to having a
little brother, like getting into mischief together. And just when the good
begins to outweigh the bad, along comes baby sister!
All the Way to Havana by Margarita Engle, illustrated by
Mike Curato
Told in the first person of a little boy this is the story
of a family’s visit to Havana to meet a new cousin. Engle uses her poetic
ability to turn a short story into a thing of beauty. There are the noises the
car makes, the way the car is compared to a noisy chicken, the metaphor of the
car being a barrel of elbows and knees, and the beauty of a young child napping
while the family celebrates. As Cuba is slowly being opened up to visitors from
the US, books like these will help us to introduce this country to our young
ones.
Sing, Don’t Cry by Angela Dominguez
Dominguez writes a tribute to her Abuelo who suffered some
setbacks in his life but turned to music instead of tears. A good message for
kids to hear told with joyful, colorful pictures and end notes about Abuelo.
