BOOKS

Bulldozer Dreams

by Sharon CHRISCOE
illus. by John Joven. 32p. Running Pr. Oct. 2017. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780762459667.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 1—In the tradition of Sherri Duskey Rinker's Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site and Brianna Kaplan Sayres's Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night?, a bulldozer settles down after a full day of hard work. His vivid dream of a playground is the only time that humans appear in the brightly colored digital illustrations. In rhyming text (which is sometimes strained), he goes through familiar bedtime rituals such as a bath and a story. "He lifts up his blade./His spotlights flash on./He rolls through the gate and/lets out a yawn." Some expressions like "he exits the bay" and "punches his clutch" might teach new vocabulary. Vehicle fans will enjoy seeing a bulldozer participate in the same activities they do at bedtime, but this book doesn't bring anything new to the genre.
VERDICT An acceptable read-aloud for young vehicle enthusiasts who can't get enough of construction play before shifting gears for bedtime.
Reviewed by Amelia Jenkins, Juneau Public Library, AK
"The clearing is done. The sun disappears. / A bulldozer stops. He shifts down his gears." But even after the 'dozer bathes (at the car wash), noshes (gasoline), and settles into bed, it can't help but dream about work--this time, building a playground. As in [cf2]Race Car Dreams[cf1], Chriscoe delivers chrome-plated rhymes, and Joven's sleek art is buffed to perfection.
 , Jun 01, 2018

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