School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-A clever reimagining of "Over in the Meadow" featuring different families of construction trucks busy attending the daily shores by a dirt pile. Parent trucks must show the little ones the important tasks they all have at the construction site. Mama bulldozer shows her little dozer the ropes: "'Push!' says the mama. 'I push!' says the one./So they push oosh oosh in the sizzling summer sun." Papa excavator shows his two little excavators how to dig. The assignments differ as papa wheel loader shows his three little loaders how to scoop, mama dump truck teaches her four little dumpers that they must spill, etc. It is a great learning experience for all the little trucks, who, after a long and arduous day of work, are ready for some lullabies and then to say good night. Greene is in tune with preschoolers and has created a sensitive rhyming and counting book with an asymmetrical composition that plays with the organization of the text's layout and the illustrations. The text flows naturally, providing enough repetition for an interactive setting and abundant vocabulary to enrich preschoolers' language skills. Additionally, the expressive, bright illustrations, made with a fusion of black ink drawings and digitally added colors, relate to the text and will inspire children's imagination. VERDICT This appealing picture book will work well in classrooms and storytimes and as a bedtime read. Bound to circulate often.-Kathia Ibacache, Simi Valley Public Library, CA © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Greene restages the "Over in the Meadow" counting song using families of trucks at a construction site: "Over by the dirt pile, tipping loads all set to pour,/ works a mama dump truck with her little dumpers four." Other crews include "a mama cement mixer with her little mixers six" and "a papa asphalt paver with his little pavers nine." In digitally colored ink drawings, Kirk gives the trucks anthropomorphic features and accessories, albeit fairly stereotypical ones-eyelashes and hair bows for many of the ladies, ball caps and bandannas for the boys-and takes care to space out the vehicles in such a way that they are easily countable. Showing the gentler side of construction sites and big rigs, Greene and Kirk's excursion should satisfy young truck-lovers. Ages 2-5. Author's agent: Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown. Illustrator's agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.