Construction Site Mission

July 15, 2020
Why should the act of construction get all the fun? Time to break it all down. The beloved characters from Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld (2011), return for yet another outing, this time delving deep into the process of destruction. An old building needs to come down, and the trucks are more than eager to oblige. Everyone plays a part: the crane wielding the wrecking ball, the excavator bashing in walls, the little skid steer breaking rocks apart. Unlike many other books about demolitions, this one takes time after every destructive sequence to note that as materials are wrenched asunder, they're also sorted for recycling purposes. After a hard day's work, it's only natural that it end with the vehicles bedding down after, "Another good day. Now, goodnight." Expect established fans to thoroughly enjoy both the familiar faces (like the excavator, crane, and dump truck) as well as newer types (like the front-end loader); readers new to the series will likely want to seek out earlier volumes. Ideal as a read-aloud, the rhyming text offers plenty of chances for adult readers to accentuate the onomatopoeia--"KA-BOOM!"; "SMASH!"; "Honk! Honk! Roar!"; and more--for their enthralled tykes. As with previous books in the series, there are both male and female trucks, though the "he"s outnumber the "she"s, and there are no clearly identified nonbinary trucks. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10.4-by-20.8-inch double-page spreads viewed at 26.7% of actual size.) A knock-down knockout in more ways than one. (Picture book. 2-5)

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July 1, 2020
Bulldozer, Crane Truck, Excavator, Flatbed, and friends (from Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site and others) roll up to their riverside demolition site where a rickety building needs tearing down. Crane Truck starts things off with his wrecking ball ("KA-BOOM!"), after which each team member, in a series of smashes, helps to bring walls, windows, and beams to the ground. These trucks are not simply breaking pipes and mashing bricks; they make sure to conserve bits and pieces for future construction. "Now everything gets sifted through / to be reused for something new." Ford's soft and textured oil crayon illustrations range from double-page spreads to smaller panels and vignettes -- all according to the size of the trucks' task at hand. The sweeping cityscape views across the river show a sky that has moved from a peachy orange sunrise to a starry midnight blue. At last, the final spreads return to the familiar cadence of bidding goodnight to these hardworking vehicles. Rinker's couplet rhymes are peppered with the satisfying sounds of the building coming apart -- "Crumble! Crash!" -- while maintaining a rhythm that can be read aloud with ease and enthusiasm.

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2020
Bulldozer, Crane Truck, Excavator, Flatbed, and friends (from Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site and others) roll up to their riverside demolition site where a rickety building needs tearing down. Crane Truck starts things off with his wrecking ball ("KA-BOOM!"), after which each team member, in a series of smashes, helps to bring walls, windows, and beams to the ground. These trucks are not simply breaking pipes and mashing bricks; they make sure to conserve bits and pieces for future construction. "Now everything gets sifted through / to be reused for something new." Ford's soft and textured oil crayon illustrations range from double-page spreads to smaller panels and vignettes -- all according to the size of the trucks' task at hand. The sweeping cityscape views across the river show a sky that has moved from a peachy orange sunrise to a starry midnight blue. At last, the final spreads return to the familiar cadence of bidding goodnight to these hardworking vehicles. Rinker's couplet rhymes are peppered with the satisfying sounds of the building coming apart -- "Crumble! Crash!" -- while maintaining a rhythm that can be read aloud with ease and enthusiasm. Grace McKinney

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)