BIG RIG BUGS

Cyrus offers a creative, appealing comparison between bugs and construction trucks. When a litterbug at a construction site tosses his lunch remains out the window, the bugs spring into action: “Cleanup crew— / work to do! / Big rigs roll / from every hole.” Each bug then does its own job, metaphors connecting them to one of the tiny construction trucks seen off in the distance. “Clear that thicket, / dozer cricket,” reads the text as a bulldozer rolls over the hill in the background. The illustrations give readers a close-up view of the action, the bugs filling the spreads, some so large that their entire bodies do not fit within the confines of the pages. While this lends well to larger group sharing, it takes away somewhat from the detail—in some cases it is difficult to tell exactly what the bugs are doing with the sandwich remains, and this weakens the impact. The bare-bones, rhyming text makes this accessible to even very young children, while the combination of construction trucks and bugs is sure to guarantee its popularity. (Picture book. 2-6)