The Diggers by Margaret Wise Brown. Illustrated by Daniel Kirk.

The Diggers by Margaret Wise Brown. Illustrated by Daniel Kirk.

Dig, Dig, Dig, this phrase is repeated so rhythmically in this book, that after a few reads you have begun to memorize this title like a poem. Meet different types of diggers in the world from the smallest mouse to the largest excavator. In here man has a plan with the digging that brings a train through a mountain and maybe to China? Margaret Wise Brown’s rhyming talent is featured so nicely with the beautiful art deco style illustrations. This one has become a car trip favorite for us because it can be read again and again and again and again.

 

 

Cars, Trucks, and Planes, Carros, camiones y aviones by Gladys Rosa-Mendoza. Illustrations by Jeremy Tugeau.

Cars, Trucks, and Planes, Carros, camiones y aviones by Gladys Rosa-Mendoza. Illustrations by Jeremy Tugeau.

This is a board book that my toddler really enjoys. It only has a few pages, but covers a lot of different types of transportation. Each page has one sentence, so it’s really short. The illustrations are really unique, very interesting and beautiful which is pretty cool for a book about transportation.

 

Minerva Louise and the Red Truck by Janet Morgan Stoeke.

Minerva Louise and the Red Truck by Janet Morgan Stoeke.

A silly hen gets taken for a ride in the farmers red truck and mistakes everything she sees. This book is really silly and entertaining and my preschooler enjoyed the humor. It’s so well illustrated too. This one is a quick and fun read.

 

Harbor by Donald Crews.

Harbor by Donald Crews.

This book is a great introduction to a working harbor for any preschooler. The illustrations are precise and neat, the text simple, the book delightful. It’s fun just to pour over the pages and read the boats names too!

 

Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne.

Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne. GREAT ILLUSTRATED CLASSICS ABRIDGED VERSION Adapted by Marian Leighton. Illustrations by Pablo Marcos Studio.

This book is amazing! We loved it. It is fast paced and really fun. It was a great lesson in geography for my preschooler, a wonderful map is included in the back of the book and we followed it as we read. I never read this as a child, found it a Goodwill for cheap, told my preschooler it was about a man traveling the world in a hot air balloon (wrongly) and away we went. The only caution I had to use was a phrase “blow my brains out” very near the end. I’m not sure why that was even included and I just didn’t read it aloud. Also there was a woman who was going to be killed, but is rescued. Chapters go by so quickly, usually covering one city of the adventure, hence moving the story along quickly. I highly recommend this one.

 

Smash Crash by Jon Scieszka, David Shannon, Loren Long, and David Gordon.

Smash Crash by Jon Scieszka, David Shannon, Loren Long, and David Gordon.

Two truck friends spend a day smashing and crashing to HELP their friends. My preschooler and toddler bring me this one again and again because they like the vehicles. Have you guessed I have boys? The front and back feature drawings of all the “trucktown” characters that they enjoy looking at and have since learned all of their names. Trucktown has a fun website with some games and some other titles we’ve yet to check out.

 

Big Frank’s Fire Truck by Leslie McGuire. lllustrated by Joe Mathieu.

Big Frank’s Fire Truck by Leslie McGuire. lllustrated by Joe Mathieu.

There was a month when I read this to my preschooler EVERY SINGLE NIGHT before bed. I think I could recite some of the text here easily, but I will let you discover it with your preschooler unspoiled. Big Frank has a 24 hour shift at the firehouse and has many experiences, a car accident, a brush fire, a grade school demonstration, and more. The illustrations are very nicely detailed. This is the best book about fire fighting we have encountered, and let me tell you, we’ve tried A LOT!

 

Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton

Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton.

The illustrations in this book could keep your toddler and preschooler busy for hours. Tiny detailed illustrations surround large illustrations and the story moves along quickly as Katy must race to help the citizens of the city do their jobs. This story is a great introduction to cities, including maps, and the jobs people have in these cities.  It’s also a great story about determination, and understanding why it is important to finish a job. Now that description sounds really boring, but the book really is NOT. Virginia Lee Burton is an amazing author and illustrator and this book you will find yourself reading again and again.

 

Five Trucks by Brian Floca

Five Trucks by Brian Floca.

A quick read with one sentence per page. My preschooler had it memorized quickly as we read this one over and over. Clever inclusion of ordinal numbers (first through fifth), fun illustrations, and an introduction to airports.

 

Vroom! Vroom! Making ‘Dozers, ‘Copters, Trucks and More by Judy Press

Vroom! Vroom! Making ‘Dozers, ‘Copters, Trucks and More by Judy Press. Illustrations by Michael Kline.

If your child likes vehicles and making things, this book is a valuable resource. Over 150 pages of EASY to assemble trains, cars, boats, rockets, helicopters, vans, fire engines…. well, you get the point. Get this book, make some cool vehicles, and your preschooler will grin from ear to ear. Your kitchen cabinets are FULL of what you need to get started.