Review: Dazzling Diggers

Dazzling Diggers

Written by Tony Mitton

Illustrated by Ant Parker

Publication Date:1997
Publisher: Kingfisher
ISBN: 978-0-7534-5304-9

Summary/back cover:
“Diggers are noisy,
strong, and big.
Diggers can carry
and push and dig.”

Be dazzled by the diggers and their daffy animal drivers in this bright and bouncy picture book. Zippy wordplay, zappy art, plus a helpful picture dictionary make learning about machines fun!

Review:
Here is yet another book from the Amazing Machines series. I don’t know how the author and illustrator managed to make a whole book about diggers and write about them so that pre-schoolers can understand, but they succeeded! My children now know that diggers can have wheels or tracks and be driven with levers or steering wheels.

Like the other Amazing Machines books we have at our house, Dazzling Diggers is a favourite of my children. If your children love big machines, they’ll no doubt love this book, too.

My rating: 4.5 out of 5

Review written by team_s

Review: Tremendous Tractors

Tremendous Tractors

Written by Tony Mitton

Illustrated by Ant Parker

Publication date: 2003
Publisher: Kingfisher
ISBN: 0-7534-0831-7

Summary/Back cover:
Tremendous, chuggy tractors,
so sturdy and so strong,
connecting up to farm machines
and pulling them along.
Climb aboard a tractor with a trio of friendly farmers in this playful picture book.  Zippy wordplay, zappy art, plus a picture dictionary make learning about tractors fun!

Review:
Another book from the Amazing Machines collection (see other reviews here, here and here), and as much loved by my 2.5 year old as Terrific Trains.  The rhyming in the book is made to sound like a tractor chugging along, which makes it as much fun for the adults to read, as it is for the kids to listen to!

This book, along with all the other ones in this collection, is great for Mums of little boys, as it teaches us about the different parts and uses of tractors, so that we can actually sound all knowledgeable when we get the inevitable questions like "What's that tractor pulling?" "How does that machine work?" etc. that inquisitive boys are known for!

Definitely a winner here - I rate this book 4.5 out of 5.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Tough Trucks

Tough Trucks

Written by Tony Mitton

Illustrated by Ant Parker

Publication date: 2003
Publisher: Kingfisher Publications
ISBN: 0-7534-0834-1

Summary/Back cover:
Trucks are tough and sturdy.
They take on heavy loads,
then thunder on their giant tyres
down long and busy roads.

Rumble down the road with a team of chirpy animal truckers in this lively picture book.  Zippy wordplay, zappy art, plus a picture dictionary make learning about trucks fun!

Review:
Another book from the Amazing Machines collection (of which I'm keen to collect the whole lot!) - Tough Trucks has been well received by my 2.5 year old.  I would have to say that, although very well written and beautifully illustrated, it doesn't seem to hit the mark quite as well as Terrific Trains, but I can't quite put my finger on a specific complaint - maybe it's just that my son is far more into trains than he is trucks at the moment!

As with other books by Tony Mitton, the rhyming is fantastic to read aloud to children, so it's the sort of book that I don't mind reading many times to a small machine-enthusiast!

My rating: 4.3 out of 5 - a definite boys' book, and perfect for your little trucker!

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Tip Tip Dig Dig

Tip Tip Dig Dig

Written and Illustrated by Emma Garcia

Publication date: 2007
Publisher: Koala Books
ISBN: 978-0-86461-742-2


Summary:
A parade of colorful construction vehicles doing their work means plenty of joyful noise! From the crane that lifts, lifts, lifts to the bulldozer that push-push-pushes, to the steamroller that rolls, rolls, rolls, every machine here makes it own special sound. Kids will love the irresistibly rhythmic text and the adorable, personality-filled vehicles with headlights that look like eyes. And the surprise ending, when the great big mess on page one becomes a wonderful playground, is sure to leave them delighted!


Review:
This is a great book for little boys - it has diggers, trucks, bulldozers... all those big construction site machines that boys love!  Its repetitive nature appeals greatly to my 2.5 year old, and he was able to read it with me within a matter of days.

The Eric Carle (The Very Hungry Caterpillar author) style pictures are beautifully done, and made me want to have a go at making some of them myself! Although, I don't think I'll ever manage to make them as well as Emma Garcia has.

A definite must-have for any little boys that are keen on machines - this is one that we're going to have to buy, I think - there will be a limit to how long we're allowed to keep it out of the library, I'm sure!

My rating: 5 out of 5 - it really hit its target audience well!


Review written by Bronwyn

Review: 'First 100' books

First 100 Words and First 100 Machines

Written by Roger Priddy

Publication date: 2005 (Words), 2006 (Machines)
Publisher: Priddy Books
ISBN: 978-0312495411 (Words), 978-0312498061 (Machines)


Summary/Back cover:

First 100 Words:
Help your child take their first steps on the language learning ladder with over 100 essential first words and pictures


First 100 Machines:
Help your child take their first steps on the language learning ladder with over 100 words and pictures of amazing machinery.


Both these books are such a bargain. Only $16 for a big hardback book with fabulous pictures. Really sturdy - I can see them lasting right through to school for our little ones. 


Review written by Anna

Review: Dig Dig Digging

Dig Dig Digging

Written by Margaret Mayo

Illustrated by Alex Ayliffe

Publication date: 2002
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
ISBN: 978-0805068405


Summary/Back cover:
Diggers are good at dig, dig, digging.  They can work all day!


Such a fantastic book for any little fans of diggers, fire engines, dump trucks and many more busy movers.
Really fun to read with lots of rhymes and great pictures.


Review written by Anna

Review: Diggers

Diggers

Written by Amanda Askew

Publication date: 2010
Publisher: QED Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-84835-464-7

Summary/Back cover:
A bright, fun book about diggers for young readers.  Includes diggers in demolitions, diggers sucking up waste and diggers in mines!

This is not a story book as such, but more like a mini text-book about diggers.  It has a lot of photos of diggers, which appeals to my 2 year old son!  The book tells us about different types of diggers, and introduces such words as 'excavator' and 'bucket attachment' - it is written for little people to understand, but doesn't dumb down the words at all.  It would be a useful starting point for a young school-aged child, if they had to, for example, do a project about diggers.

It's definitely a 'boy' book - although it's not a story book, it's still become a firm favourite at bedtime in this household, but sometimes we just point out interesting things in the photos, rather than reading the text.

My rating: 3 out of 5.  Great if your child loves diggers, but otherwise I wouldn't bother.

Review written by Bronwyn