Digger to the Rescue

PreS-Gr 1—These activity-filled volumes feature animal characters performing human occupations that require the use of specific machines. In the first one, Bear operates a digger to prepare a new playground site and to rescue a cat stuck in a tree. Next, firefighting foxes maneuver a fire truck and its equipment to extinguish an apartment blaze and save a trapped victim. Rabbit mechanics prep a race car, driven on to victory by another rabbit in Race Car Is Roaring. In the last volume, Dog performs farm tasks with the assistance of a tractor and moves a fallen tree, enabling cows to return to the barn for milking. These stories should sustain the interest of young children who are fascinated with wheeled vehicles. However, when read aloud, the transition between sentences, at times, is awkward and choppy. The text is printed above, below, or within the artwork. A large font size draws attention to selected vocabulary, while sounds produced by the machines and certain animals are printed in uppercase. A labeled diagram of the featured machine appears near the end of the book, along with illustrations of related machines. Lightfoot's pastel-like, colorful artwork is a mix of spreads and single page scenes; artistic details emphasize the animals' interactions with the machines. Useful additional purchases.—Lynn Vanca, Freelance Librarian, Akron, OH