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Bulldozer's Big Day
Big trucks and a birthday surprise make this construction site treat an irresistible read-aloud, illustrated by a Caldecott Medalist! It’s Bulldozer’s big day—his birthday! But around the construction site, it seems like everyone is too busy to remember. Bulldozer wheels around asking his truck friends if they know what day it is, but they each only say it’s a work day. They go on scooping, sifting, stirring, filling, and lifting, and little Bulldozer grows more and more glum. But when the whistle blows at the end of the busy day, Bulldozer discovers a construction site surprise, especially for him!
Paperback
First published April 1, 2015
About the author
Candace Fleming
74 books657 followersI have always been a storyteller. Even before I could write my name, I could tell a good tale. And I told them all the time. As a preschooler, I told my neighbors all about my three-legged cat named Spot. In kindergarten, I told my classmates about the ghost that lived in my attic. And in first grade I told my teacher, Miss Harbart, all about my family's trip to Paris, France.
I told such a good story that people always thought I was telling the truth. But I wasn't. I didn't have a three-legged cat or a ghost in my attic, and I'd certainly never been to Paris, France. I simply enjoyed telling a good story... and seeing my listener's reaction.
Sure, some people might have said I was a seven-year old fibber. But not my parents. Instead of calling my stories "fibs" they called them "imaginative." They encouraged me to put my stories down on paper. I did. And amazingly, once I began writing, I couldn't stop. I filled notebook after notebook with stories, poems, plays. I still have many of those notebooks. They're precious to me because they are a record of my writing life from elementary school on.
In second grade, I discovered a passion for language. I can still remember the day my teacher, Miss Johnson, held up a horn-shaped basket filled with papier-mache pumpkins and asked the class to repeat the word "cornucopia." I said it again and again, tasted the word on my lips. I tested it on my ears. That afternoon, I skipped all the way home from school chanting, "Cornucopia! Cornucopia!" From then on, I really began listening to words—to the sounds they made, and the way they were used, and how they made me feel. I longed to put them together in ways that were beautiful, and yet told a story.
As I grew, I continued to write stories. But I never really thought of becoming an author. Instead, I went to college where I discovered yet another passion—history. I didn't realize it then, but studying history is really just an extension of my love of stories. After all, some of the best stories are true ones — tales of heroism and villainy made more incredible by the fact they really happened.
After graduation, I got married and had children. I read to them a lot, and that's when I discovered the joy and music of children's books. I simply couldn't get enough of them. With my two sons in tow, I made endless trips to the library. I read stacks of books. I found myself begging, "Just one more, pleeeeease!" while my boys begged for lights-out and sleep. Then it struck me. Why not write children's books? It seemed the perfect way to combine all the things I loved: stories, musical language, history, and reading. I couldn't wait to get started.
But writing children's books is harder than it looks. For three years I wrote story after story. I sent them to publisher after publisher. And I received rejection letter after rejection letter. Still, I didn't give up. I kept trying until finally one of my stories was pulled from the slush pile and turned into a book. My career as a children's author had begun.
I told such a good story that people always thought I was telling the truth. But I wasn't. I didn't have a three-legged cat or a ghost in my attic, and I'd certainly never been to Paris, France. I simply enjoyed telling a good story... and seeing my listener's reaction.
Sure, some people might have said I was a seven-year old fibber. But not my parents. Instead of calling my stories "fibs" they called them "imaginative." They encouraged me to put my stories down on paper. I did. And amazingly, once I began writing, I couldn't stop. I filled notebook after notebook with stories, poems, plays. I still have many of those notebooks. They're precious to me because they are a record of my writing life from elementary school on.
In second grade, I discovered a passion for language. I can still remember the day my teacher, Miss Johnson, held up a horn-shaped basket filled with papier-mache pumpkins and asked the class to repeat the word "cornucopia." I said it again and again, tasted the word on my lips. I tested it on my ears. That afternoon, I skipped all the way home from school chanting, "Cornucopia! Cornucopia!" From then on, I really began listening to words—to the sounds they made, and the way they were used, and how they made me feel. I longed to put them together in ways that were beautiful, and yet told a story.
As I grew, I continued to write stories. But I never really thought of becoming an author. Instead, I went to college where I discovered yet another passion—history. I didn't realize it then, but studying history is really just an extension of my love of stories. After all, some of the best stories are true ones — tales of heroism and villainy made more incredible by the fact they really happened.
After graduation, I got married and had children. I read to them a lot, and that's when I discovered the joy and music of children's books. I simply couldn't get enough of them. With my two sons in tow, I made endless trips to the library. I read stacks of books. I found myself begging, "Just one more, pleeeeease!" while my boys begged for lights-out and sleep. Then it struck me. Why not write children's books? It seemed the perfect way to combine all the things I loved: stories, musical language, history, and reading. I couldn't wait to get started.
But writing children's books is harder than it looks. For three years I wrote story after story. I sent them to publisher after publisher. And I received rejection letter after rejection letter. Still, I didn't give up. I kept trying until finally one of my stories was pulled from the slush pile and turned into a book. My career as a children's author had begun.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
October 12, 2019
Kids liked this one.
January 10, 2025
5 stars for the illustrations though
May 14, 2015
It will undoubtedly be a big hit with the truck-phase crowd - and it got a whole star just for having the equipment "explain" what they were doing - but the story missed the mark for me. The illustrations were excellent, though!
November 27, 2023
Cute illustrations! My toddler loves it!
January 28, 2018
Fleming, Candace Bulldozer’s Big Day. Illustrated by Eric Rohmann. PICTURE BOOK. Antheum Books for Young Readers, 2015. $17.99. Content: G.
It’s Bulldozer’s birthday and he is very excited to celebrate. When he gets to the job site and sees each of his friends he asks, “Guess what today is!” Then each construction vehicle teases Bulldozer by stating that “today is scooping day. Scooping…scooping…scooping.” After Dump Truck, Cement Mixer, and all other construction site friends join in the surprise, Bulldoze feels like everyone has forgotten his birthday. When the work day is over the friends gather together to give Bulldozer a huge surprise party!
This is a cute book that little ones will enjoy reading. This book is an informative book listing each construction site vehicle and the jobs and sounds they make. The illustrations are great!
Pre-K. EL (K-3). ADVISABLE. Reviewer: SL.
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...
It’s Bulldozer’s birthday and he is very excited to celebrate. When he gets to the job site and sees each of his friends he asks, “Guess what today is!” Then each construction vehicle teases Bulldozer by stating that “today is scooping day. Scooping…scooping…scooping.” After Dump Truck, Cement Mixer, and all other construction site friends join in the surprise, Bulldoze feels like everyone has forgotten his birthday. When the work day is over the friends gather together to give Bulldozer a huge surprise party!
This is a cute book that little ones will enjoy reading. This book is an informative book listing each construction site vehicle and the jobs and sounds they make. The illustrations are great!
Pre-K. EL (K-3). ADVISABLE. Reviewer: SL.
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...
October 3, 2017
This book is about a young bull dozer. He is excited about something special happening on the day the story takes place. He asks all the other machines at the construction cite about the day but none of them are excited for the same reason bulldozer is . . . or so he thinks. I thought this book was super cute and surprisingly good at portraying the emotions of the machines, particularly the bulldozer. I would read this book to a kindergarten class or to a group of preschoolers. It would be a good book to talk about identifying and understanding other people’s emotions. I would love to start getting them used to the idea of empathy with this book.
January 8, 2021
A sweet story to add to our all-things-wheels collection as part of our home library. Little Bulldozer is so excited about his birthday and then super bummed when it seems like none of his friends remembered. I won’t spoil the ending for you.
There are some great things happening in the illustrations that act as foreshadowing in the story. My four year old caught on to it long before I did. Really fun!
Recommended for 2 and up.
There are some great things happening in the illustrations that act as foreshadowing in the story. My four year old caught on to it long before I did. Really fun!
Recommended for 2 and up.
February 17, 2023
Currently reading through Fleming's catalog of books because she'll be visiting our school.
I remember reading this to my own boys (one of which was a big construction equipment fan as they all are as little kids) and reading it for another round was entertaining since it's a birthday book, featuring bulldozer who goes about his day with all the other equipment who don't say anything about his birthday until they hoist a cake up and celebrate.
I remember reading this to my own boys (one of which was a big construction equipment fan as they all are as little kids) and reading it for another round was entertaining since it's a birthday book, featuring bulldozer who goes about his day with all the other equipment who don't say anything about his birthday until they hoist a cake up and celebrate.
May 29, 2018
Bulldozer is excited for his important day but he is starting to think all his friends forgot about his special day. They are so busy working that they cant think of what is so special. Bulldozer starts to get sad. What happens in the end makes bulldozer realize he has some pretty special friends.
April 14, 2022
Construction & truck fanatics will enjoy the variety of characters depicted in this fun little book. It's an easy read & shows Bulldozer's changing emotions as his disappointment & sadness grows.
A good book for the younger construction fans (2-4), but older kids may find this story a little dull.
A good book for the younger construction fans (2-4), but older kids may find this story a little dull.
December 12, 2022
Little Bulldozer goes around and asks the construction vehicles what day it is. They are supposed to answer the bulldozer's birthday but instead, they are all working hard. Bulldozer thinks the other trucks have forgotten their birthday. Just then the vehicles whistle to signal the end of a long work day and a produce a large birthday cake.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2023
Construction & truck fanatics will enjoy the variety of characters depicted in this fun little book. It's an easy read & shows Bulldozer's changing emotions as his disappointment & sadness grows.
A good book for the younger construction fans (2-4), but older kids may find this story a little dull.
A good book for the younger construction fans (2-4), but older kids may find this story a little dull.
March 10, 2018
The 4 year old LOVES this book. he cried when I returned it to the library, so I had to go back the next day and check it out again. it's okay,but not worth reading at bedtime every night for a month in my opinion.
February 25, 2019
Cute, cute! Bulldozer thinks all his friends have forgotten about his party. They pretend to, but of course the remember and celebrate.
The are outstanding illustration. They just stick in my due to their simplicity and colors.
The are outstanding illustration. They just stick in my due to their simplicity and colors.
January 31, 2021
I usually make up my own words to make it a little more accessible to my 2-year-old but he loves the story. He loves the idea of how the other vehicles chipped in to make it a special day for the little bulldozer. And I appreciate the commoradary.
August 31, 2021
I have lost count of how many times I have read this book this month. My 3 yr old keeps picking it every day for story time before nap. Seriously, over and over again. Thankfully I haven't gotten overly annoyed by the story. It is cute overall and holds up over many, many reads.
November 28, 2023
It is Bulldozer's birthday, but at work on the construction site, no one seems to know! They sift, fill, scoop and do all the work throughout the day, and Bulldozer feels more unhappy as the day goes on. But, when the final whistle blows for the day, there is a special surprise for Bulldozer!
August 14, 2024
The boys loved this book but these trucks make Bulldozer feel awful all day on his birthday just to surprise him at the end...so 90% of his birthday had to be ruined to enjoy the other 10% which seemed mean to me
May 18, 2017
Good for a construction obsessed kiddo... which is most of them.
February 15, 2018
cute. good for storytime. action words
March 2, 2018
It’s Bulldozer’s birthday and he feels like all of his friends have forgotten. Don’t worry, he is happily surprised once the work day ends!
November 11, 2018
Eric Rohman <3
For K and under construction fans. Would pair well with Little Excavator for storytimes.
For K and under construction fans. Would pair well with Little Excavator for storytimes.
March 28, 2019
Surprise! It’s bulldozer’s birthday, though the other construction vehicles don’t seem to know. Great read aloud for little ones who like building.
September 5, 2020
Cool book, nice tale of someone hopping his friends haven’t forgot what day it is today.
September 3, 2021
This will be fun for toddler / preschool Storytime!
June 2, 2022
My toddler is very into all big machinery. So, this book was a hit. Not a lot going on plot wise, but engaging enough.
March 18, 2023
MVC all love age 2-3
March 29, 2023
Good book for young truck lovers!
May 12, 2023
Cute picture book about a bulldozer who thinks everyone forgot his birthday - my kiddo enjoyed it.
August 9, 2023
Sorry, I am *not* a fan of pretending to forget a kid's birthday. It's just mean. The rest of the book was find though, with cute illustrations and text that begs to be read aloud.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews