Children's Picture Books

Earthmovers on the Move

By: Lee Sullivan Hill
Publisher: Lerner Classroom
Publication Date: August 2010
ISBN: 978-0761361169
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: September 2010

If you have a child who spends a lot of time outside playing with his or her cars and trucks in the dirt, chances are they know a lot about moving earth, but just how much do they know about earthmovers themselves? There is a lot of dirt that earthmovers need to dig and move in order to build roads or erect new buildings. They move both dirt and sand which are “kinds of earth.” The purpose of an earthmover is to move this earth around. They push earth around, scoop it up, and huge vehicles like steamrollers “pack it down hard.”

A person called “an operator makes an earthmover go.” An engine, which is usually “underneath or behind the cab,” gives it power. If you look closely, you will see that some earthmovers have tracks that keep it from “sinking in the soft earth,” while others have large rubber tires. The ones with the large tires are the ones you usually see on road construction sites. Some earthmovers like excavators have buckets that “are good for scooping earth.” Earthmovers, like bulldozers, have blades to “push big piles of earth.” You’re going to see all kinds of earthmovers in this book and learn about what they do. You’re going to get a close look at a front-end loader, a skid-steer loader, an excavator, a backhoe, a bulldozer, a grader, a scraper, and a sheepsfoot loader.

This is a dream book for any youngster who is fascinated with every big, dirty earthmover they see. Sandboxes were not only made for pails and shovels, but also for youngsters who are in love with their toy earthmovers. Even when their sandbox days are over, their interest in earthmovers usually continues. Books like these enable them to see these big machines in action and they will be able to learn their names and functions. Reading fluency can be easily enhanced with this high interest book as the photographs provide excellent visual clues. For example, when we see a backhoe, a caption such as “The backhoe digs holes with its back bucket,” can be readily deciphered with a bit of assistance. In the back of the book is a simple “Backhoe Diagram,” some “Fun Facts,” an index, a glossary, and additional recommended website and book resources to explore.

Quill says: If you have a youngster who gets excited over BIG machinery, especially earthmovers, this is one book that will keep him or her busy for hours!