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Perfect Picture Book Friday! Mighty, Mighty Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker

Susanna Leonard Hill has a feature on her blog called Perfect Picture Book Friday. It is a list of “perfect” picture books recommended by all sorts of people. I chose this book because it is a sweet story about teamwork and who doesn’t like construction trucks?!

mighty Mighty, Mighty Construction Site
Written by Sherri Duskey Rinker
Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
40 pages – ages 5+
Will be Published by Chronicle Books on February 14, 2017

Theme/Topic- Teamwork
Genre- Fiction
Opening and Synopsis- Opening: “Down in the big construction site,

five trucks wake to morning light,
It’s time to S-T-R-E-T-C-H, roll out of bed,
and gear up for the day ahead!”

Synopsis from Publisher: “At last—here from the team behind the beloved international bestseller comes a companion to Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site. All of our favorite trucks are back on the construction site—this time with a focus on team-building, friendship, and working together to make a big task seem small! Down in the big construction site, the crew faces their biggest job yet, and will need the help of new construction friends to get it done. Working as a team, there’s nothing they can’t do! The millions of fans of Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site are in for a mighty good time!”

What I Thought- Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site was fabulous and this sequel was no disappointment! Mighty, Mighty Construction Site is told in a rhyme that is gentle and playful. Lichtenheld’s illustrations pair perfectly with the rhyming, reflecting the warmth conveyed. The story shows the importance of working together, because then you get the job done. The story is especially sweet because it doesn’t have the negative aspect, just the original group knows when to ask for help, and they do so. The illustrations are all pleasant, and give you a very warm feeling inside when you look at them.

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Not only that, but Lichtenheld elaborates on the text with his illustrations, and adds in his own personal touch. It is truly a great collaboration.

Activities and Resources- There is a great list of things to build teamwork skills with kids from Online.Brescia.edu HERE.

KidsSoup.Com has a whole slew of construction crafts, games and activities – click HERE!

Check out the book’s trailer!

To find more Perfect Picture Books please visit Susanna Hill’s blog HERE!

Tags: might mighty construction site, perfect picture book friday, Sherri Duskey Rinker, susanna leonard hill, tom lichtenheld

Comments 8 Comments
Categories Age 6-9, Perfect Picture Book Friday

Review and GIVEAWAY! Groovy Joe: Ice Cream and Dinosaurs by Eric Litwin

28 Sep

groovy Groovy Joe: Ice Cream and Dinosaurs
Series: Groovy Joe #1
Written by Eric Litwin
Illustrations by Tom Lichtenheld
40 pages – ages 3+
Published by Orchard Books on August 30, 2016

Synopsis from Publisher- “Meet Groovy Joe, a fun-lovin’, guitar-strummin’, doggy-ice-cream-eatin’ pup as he wrangles three hungry dinosaurs and soon has them singing, grooving, and sharing!

Groovy Joe was living the dream.
He had a spoon and tub of doggy ice cream.
And he started to sing:
Love my doggy ice cream! Love my doggy ice cream!

Eric Litwin, author of the bestselling and beloved Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, and bestselling artist Tom Lichtenheld, illustrator of Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site, have created a captivating new canine character who will groove his way into readers’ hearts and have them grooving and giggling all the while. In his debut adventure, Groovy Joe faces three roaring dinosaurs hungry for his doggy ice cream! Oh no! But Joe knows just what to do and soon enough he has them all sharing while moving and singing along.”

What I Thought- This is a really nice picture book! I really liked Mr. Litwin’s Pete the Cat series, and the positive message it sends, and this new series looks like it will be just as great! The illustrations are very fun, summing up the signature rhyme and rhythm of Mr. Litwin’s writing perfectly. The book has repetitive phrases, so kids will be able to follow along easily, and even read together with their parents. Groovy Joe is a good role model, always showing kindness, and not yelling at the three dinos that kick down his door (that is extreme kindness right there!). This is a great new book, and kids will love the new series, with the next book coming out in Fall 2017! Love the groovy music downloads that go with the book too! I wonder if Groovy Joe will ever meet Pete the Cat! 😉

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Check out the Groovy Joe website HERE for a discussion guide, music and more!

ericlitwin

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Eric Litwin is a #1 New York Times bestselling author who merges music and early literacy together. He is the author of the first four Pete the Cat picture books and the exciting new musical series The Nuts. Eric’s books have sold more than 6.5 million copies and won eighteen state and national awards, including a Theodor Geisel Seuss Honor Award. Eric is a popular performing artist who plays guitar, sings, tells stories, and brings books to life. Visit him at ericlitwin.com.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR: Tom Lichtenheld is the illustrator of the New York Times bestsellers Duck! Rabbit!; Exclamation Mark; Steam Train, Dream Train; Shark vs. Train; and Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site, which has been on the bestseller list for over three years. He has also written and illustrated a number of books, including What Are You So Grumpy About, Cloudette, and E-mergency, a Publishers Weekly and Boston Globe Best Book of 2011. For more information, visit him at tomlichtenheld.com.