Construction

The New Zealand duo who created Roadwork and Demolition turn their considerable talents to the building of a library. ... Printed in large, clear letters, the rhythmic text uses basic vocabulary, strong verbs, and onomatopoeia, making it wonderful to read aloud. Artwork is done in ink, acrylic, and colored pencil on full-bleed spreads where pigmented inks and a variety of perspectives are used to great effect. ... The simplicity of the telling and the rich details in the spreads make this a must-have for all libraries serving young children.

Sutton and Lovelock are back for more fun combining dynamic text and illustrations for little builders. ... Sutton's rhythm and rhyming text pulsates, moving the pace along briskly. "Dig the ground. Dig the ground. / Bore down in the mud." Onomatopoeia rounds out each stanza: "Shove the piles in one by one. / Slip! SLAP! THUD!" Bold, bright illustrations convey the scope of the effort and machinery required to lift stacks of lumber or sheets of plate glass into place. ... There's always room for one more good construction book: Make a spot for this one.

With plenty of onomatopoeia and action verbs, the rhyming text effectively brings the sounds of a construction site to life. Lovelock’s illustrations, cleanly rendered in pigmented inks, portray activity without being overly busy themselves. The text and art move briskly through the various building stages—from digging holes for foundation piles to laying pipes to moving in “shelves and books.” Listeners will enjoy guessing what the new building will be before the last spread reveals: “The library’s here for everyone. / Ready… / STEADY… / READ!”

Along with speckles and spatters of paint that add a suitably rugged look, the illustrations depict on-site views of a crane, a concrete pumper, and other machines in use, capped by a final page of identifers and descriptive notes. Bread and butter for budding building boffins.

This is a fun book with melodic verse, colorful images, and onomatopoeia which will have children jumping out of their seats.