I AM A BACKHOE

Like many young boys, this book’s protagonist marries an active imagination to a love of trucks. In a layout perfectly designed for the youngest readers, Hines uses one double-page spread to show the young boy acting out the motions of one of his favorite trucks: “I dig my hand / into the sand, / my scooper hand. / Dig. Dig. Dig. / Lift, turn, tip. / I am... // a backhoe”—with a turn of the page that reveals the boy still engaged in pretend play but with the actual truck massively in the background, also performing the same action. The trucks include the titular backhoe, a bulldozer, crane truck, dump truck and roller. In a wonderful ending segue, Daddy the flatbed truck backs the young boy up onto the couch, where they share a book together. The digital artwork has a soft look and feel and features vibrant colors for both the clearly outlined objects and the blank backgrounds. Spare text with a simple vocabulary makes this an excellent choice for both toddlers and those who are just beginning to read. The author has turned an ordinary (and overdone) topic into something extraordinary. (Picture book. 2-6)