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Diggers and Other Construction Machines
Provides young readers with an introduction to construction machinery in which they can peel away the various layers and see their illustrated inner workings.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 1999
3 people want to read
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October 21, 2013
We borrowed this book from the library for its coverage of TBMs (Tunnel Boring Machines), but my preschool construction fanatic loved the whole thing. Its correct title is "Cutaway Diggers and other Construction Machines" or "Diggers and other Construction Machines."
This is clearly a book designed for only the most construction-and-vehicle mad child (and his/her enablers!), but it has everything to satisfy that target demographic-- my son carried it everywhere for a week just to look at the pictures. I would say that it is for a middle-to-upper elementary reading level, or a very motivatedyounger one with a LOT of help. It's long and not an easy read-aloud, especially for the kind of parent who hates reading labels spread across the page, but for the browsing value and the selection of equipment it is worth it. (Also good if your digger fan is doing a school report!)
The layout alternates between double-page spreads on specific equipment-- backhoe loader, excavator, scraper, road paver, mining shovel, tunnel boring machine-- and photo layouts with themes like knocking buildings down, how technology has changed, or tunneling underground. Those who have already read many construction equipment books will also notice relative rare machines like drag-line excavators, bucket-wheel excavators, giant claws, dredgers, drilling cranes, etc. in the layouts. The two-page spreads include cutaways of engines, hydraulics, tires, etc, labels for important parts, and a sidebar with a description of what the equipment is and what it does. I actually feel I understand how a road paver works now.
The last few pages are a few 'fantastic facts' mostly for school reports, a short glossary of building words, specifically 'backhoe,' 'caterpillar tracks,' 'hydraulic,' 'internal combustion engine,' 'piston,' and 'pneumatic.' A somewhat idiosyncratic index lets you turn to particular illustrations; its deficiencies are balanced by a - gasp!- table of contents, making this a good book to show rough-and-tough construction enthusiasts the use of these key book features.
This is clearly a book designed for only the most construction-and-vehicle mad child (and his/her enablers!), but it has everything to satisfy that target demographic-- my son carried it everywhere for a week just to look at the pictures. I would say that it is for a middle-to-upper elementary reading level, or a very motivatedyounger one with a LOT of help. It's long and not an easy read-aloud, especially for the kind of parent who hates reading labels spread across the page, but for the browsing value and the selection of equipment it is worth it. (Also good if your digger fan is doing a school report!)
The layout alternates between double-page spreads on specific equipment-- backhoe loader, excavator, scraper, road paver, mining shovel, tunnel boring machine-- and photo layouts with themes like knocking buildings down, how technology has changed, or tunneling underground. Those who have already read many construction equipment books will also notice relative rare machines like drag-line excavators, bucket-wheel excavators, giant claws, dredgers, drilling cranes, etc. in the layouts. The two-page spreads include cutaways of engines, hydraulics, tires, etc, labels for important parts, and a sidebar with a description of what the equipment is and what it does. I actually feel I understand how a road paver works now.
The last few pages are a few 'fantastic facts' mostly for school reports, a short glossary of building words, specifically 'backhoe,' 'caterpillar tracks,' 'hydraulic,' 'internal combustion engine,' 'piston,' and 'pneumatic.' A somewhat idiosyncratic index lets you turn to particular illustrations; its deficiencies are balanced by a - gasp!- table of contents, making this a good book to show rough-and-tough construction enthusiasts the use of these key book features.
Displaying 1 of 1 review