Bridges
By Etta Kaner
Age: 5-7 years; 7-10 years; 11-13 years
Informative and particularly interesting for kids who love man-made structures, I liked how this book taught about the different types of bridges. We skimmed most of it because it was packed with information (and many more words than a preschooler can generally sit through), and we still learned a lot. If you have a bridge enthusiast in your family, I recommend this book.
I Drive a Dump Truck
Written by Sarah Bridges
Illustrated by Derrick Alderman and Denise Shae
Age: 3-5 years; 5-7 years
This book will teach you all kinds of things you never knew about how dump trucks work. If you and your children like this book, you might also enjoy I Drive a Bulldozer and similar books by Sarah Bridges.
Let's Try It Out with Towers and Bridges
By Seymour Simon and Nicole Fauteux
Illustrated by Doug Cushman
Age: 3-5 years; 5-7 years; 7-10 years
I'm putting the younger age category on here because if you have a preschooler who is really into building things, this book is a great resource. We checked this out one time and did the simple activities with paper. The second time around we actually tried building a suspension bridge with kitchen chairs, heavy books, yarn, and cardboard. Next time I'll try that project at a different time of day - 4pm is about the worst time to attempt anything and this proved to be a disastrous bridge-making endeavor. Joshua (4 years old) loved it, though, and can't wait to try it again.
The Airplane Book
By Cheryl Walsh Bellville
Age: 5-7 years; 7-10 years
As part of preparing for our around-the-world trip to Australia, we checked out this book about airplanes. Actually, Hannah (3 years old) stumbled across it on the library shelves and had to check it out. In the end it was too long and wordy for her, but she and Joshua (4 years old) had a good time looking at all of the pictures. Maybe when they're older they will appreciate this book more. In the mean time, I'm still glad we found it.
Out and About at the Fire Station
Written by Muriel L. DuBois
Illustrated by Anne McMullen
Age: 3-5 years; 5-7 years
Simple and engaging book about fire safety. Abby (15 months) liked pulling this one off the shelf to "read" on her own.
Emergency!
By Gail Gibbons
Age: 3-5 years; 5-7 years
As always, Gail Gibbons does a great job in this book about emergency vehicles. This one was less wordy than some of her other books but just as informative. When Joshua first saw this book tucked away on the shelf in his preschool classroom he shouted out "That's the book we have at home!". Doesn't it feel good when you're one teeny, tiny step ahead of the preschool pro's. :)
Fire! Fire!
By Gail Gibbons
Age: 5-7 years; 7-10 years
I'm recommending this for elementary school ages and not preschoolers because it is wordy. That said, we've checked it out two or three times since Joshua was 3 years old, and he's only 4 now. For younger kids, I ask them to pick one section - there are sections about fires in the city, country, forest, and water - and then I skip over some information if I start to lose their attention.
All of that said, this book is just as good as you would expect from Gail Gibbons. Packed with information, simple but detailed illustrations, and an exciting topic, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in fire trucks. I liked that this one discusses lesser-known fire emergency vehicles such as helicopters and fire boats. I'm sure we'll be getting this one many more times before the kids outgrow the children's room at the local library.
Firetrucks
By Peter Brady
Age: 3-5 years; 5-7 years
It's always fun to check out non-fiction books about trucks! This one was informative, simple, and had real-life photographs.
Note: We did not read this in Spanish, although it would have been a fun exercise to try. I could only find a photo of the Spanish edition.
I Drive a Bulldozer
By Sarah Bridges
Illustrated by Derrick Alderman and Denise Shae
Age: 3-5 years, 7-10 years
There are a few books in this series and every one of them is great! Like Huge Earthmovers you'll most likely find this in the Children's Non-Fiction section. Joshua (4 years old) was really excited to find this in the library bag last week.
Huge Earthmovers
By Meish Goldish
Age: 7-10 years (but our 4-year-old loves this)
Joshua (4 years old) has started taking an interest in anything that is big, fast, and/or potentially destructive. He has checked out this book a couple of times and enjoys it more with each read. If you have a boy who loves construction trucks and wants to see just how impressive the biggest trucks can be, then this is a great book to check out! Look for it in the Children's Non-Fiction section of your local library.
