The Construction Alphabet Book

August 1, 2006
PreS-Gr 2 -Pallotta follows the alphabetical formula used in many of his other titles, this time with Bolster -s illustrations to showcase different types of construction equipment. Upper- and lowercase letters are paired with brief descriptive paragraphs that explain how pieces of construction equipment -from an aerial lift to a zipper -are used. Some of the machines are used in demolition, some for roads; others to clear land or erect buildings. Treatment is brief. A backhoe, cement mixer, dump truck, jackhammer, and wrecking ball will be more familiar to children than a horizontal borer, knuckleboom loader, mobile rock crusher, quad-axle lowbed, and vactor. The realistic paintings, rich in tones of blue, brown, red, green, and orange, will attract youngsters. Libraries with a high demand for construction-related books should consider adding this appealing title." -Lynn K. Vanca, Akron-Summit County Public Library, Richfield, OH"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2006
PreS-Gr. 2. This alphabet book spotlights large-scale construction equipment, from "A is for Aerial Lifts" to "Z is for Zipper . . . used to slice asphalt." With three pages left after " Z," the book playfully starts over with "A is for Asphalt Reclaimer" through "C is for Compactor" and suggests that children finish the next 23 letters themselves. Pallotta provides more information than most picture books about the topic for this age group, with a typical entry including three or four sentences with an occasional suggestion of the sound a vehicle or tool makes: "crunch, crunch, crunch . . . eng, eng, eng." Sometimes a bit of facetious humor ("Do not use a road cutter to cut your toenails") lightens the tone of the text. The handsome illustrations, which have the look of acrylic paintings, are well composed and precisely delineated. Suitable for primary-graders as well as for preschoolers who have the patience to look carefully for a minute or two before turning the page.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2007
Palotta describes twenty-nine construction vehicles and tools (he's so enamored by the subject he starts again at [cf2]A[cf1] after presenting [cf2]Z[cf1]), including a jackhammer, mobile rock crusher, and X-bracing. The informative text occasionally includes sound effects ("Eeeeee...BOOM!") and some distractingly random diversions and jokes. The watercolor paintings look almost like photographs in their realism and detail.

(Copyright 2007 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)