THE BRIDGE

by Emily Cheney Neville ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1988

In her first picture book, the author of It's Like This, Cat (Newbery Medal, 1964) depicts a happy family of three in the Northeast and--more important to young listenem--details the replacing of the small timber bridge leading to their home after it collapses under the weight of a 14-ton oil track. Staying carefully behind the line that Daddy has made as a boundary, Ben spends the whole day watching as a backhoe and bulldozer prepare the site for a giant culvert. In a neat concluding touch, Mom engineers a way for this new, silent bridge to let them know when someone drives over it, so that they'll still know when Daddy is coming home. A warm family story, satisfyingly long and detailed for the listeners who always want more about construction machinery and how it works. Himler's beautifully executed watercolors do full justice to the giant machinery's power and drama, the cozy home (books and an open piano), and the rural landscape on a cool fall day. Though Ben is a preschooler, this may also find use as a young reader.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1988

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Harper & Row

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1988

Categories: CHILDREN'S