Best Children's Cars & Trucks Books

said the friendly. Little Blue Truck. Little Blue Truck is a joyful cacophony of animal and truck sounds that will have youngsters beeping and quacking—and begging for one more go-round! While the message might be a little heavy-handed, this is still a fun, rollicking story that should find a place in most collections.— Rachael Vilmar, Eastern Shore Regional Library, Salisbury, MD Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. McElmurry''s ( Mad About Plaid ) gouaches recall the heyday of Golden Books in their combination of vividness, naïveté and sweetness, and her rich palette achieves verisimilitude that is no less satisfying for being nostalgic."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I just love stories that are cute, rhyme well and offer a good message."
"This is the best book (and I have a lot of them)!"
"While reading through it, I found the rhymes catchy and it left the reader with a good message."
"I think he likes it better when I read it to him rather than my husband because I get into it with acting out the animal noises and the beeps and the honks."
"I love that the story flows and the words are sing-songy as you read."
"We bought this book for our almost 2 year old niece!"
"My kids have loved this book for years."
"We had checked it out originally at our local homeschool library and my son fell in love with it."

One by one, Crane Truck, Cement Mixer, Dump Truck, Bulldozer, and Excavator finish their work and lie down to rest—so they'll be ready for another day of rough and tough construction play! First-time author Sherri Duskey Rinker's Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site steadily climbed up the New York Times' Bestseller list throughout 2011, reaching #1 on January 29th, 2012. Here she shares the early inspiration that inspired a career in design, and how another artist brought her vision to life. I grew up loving picture books. Virginia Lee Burton's The Little House was my favorite, and I obsessed over the whimsically sweet illustrations of that little pink house happily sitting upon a hill covered in daisies. We had two boys and two good excuses for buying dozens (and dozens) of picture books. obsession with trucks, I wrote Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site in stolen moments during the workday and late at night, after the boys were tucked in. And with the words emerged a vision (dare I say "obsession") for how the book and my trucks would look. I included the concept illustration with my manuscript and sent it, unsolicited, to Chronicle Books. One of the reasons that Chronicle was the first (and ultimately only) publisher on my list was that I LOVE their picture books. The first was from Tom's NYT best-selling book, Duck! Virginia Lee Burton's The Little House Virginia Lee Burton's Mike Mulligan 's steam shovelRinker's original vision for Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site Illustrator Tom Lichtenheld's Duck! Lichtenheld's first sketch of Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"When this book was published in 2011, I babysat full time for our oldest grandson while my daughter-in-law was in the work force, he was 3 years old and was HEAVY into Thomas the train. We'd begun a collection of diecast trains for him, along with the Island of Sodor's construction team (called "The Pack"), and each and EVERY day at naptime he would have to say "goodnight" to each and every one of them individually - this darling book does exactly that, saying an individual goodnight to the rough and tough crane, cement mixer, dump truck, bulldozer and excavator, who are all calming down and getting ready to call it a night (with all of the typical bedtime rituals included in the book - taking a bath, getting tucked in, curling/snuggling up, dimming the lights and shutting the door) - it would have been absolutely PERFECT! Whether it's naptime or bedtime, the calming way this book is written coupled with the cute illustrations of the vehicles yawning, shutting their eyes, etc., is bound to be a sure-fire winner for any parent or grandparent tasked with helping a youngster to "Turn off your engines, stop your tracks, relax your wheels, your stacks, and backs."
"If you and your child enjoyed the train book, you'll like this one."
"Our favorite page is where the crane is holding his teddy bear and a star night light is hanging over them."
"I like that it teaches the names of the construction trucks, has rhymes, and the illustrations are very detailed."
"This book will be a great book for little boy so in love with Construction and all vehicles involved in those processes!"
"Warning: Only buy this product if you have a great desire to read it at least 10 times a day!"
"This quickly became one of my 3 year old sons favorite bedtime books."
"Such a cute book, our son loves it - he is currently obsessed with all things that go!"

Blaze and the Monster Machines is Nickelodeon's new animated action-adventure series! Today, the Golden Books imprint includes an array of storybooks, novelty books, and coloring and activity books featuring all of the most popular licenses, including Disney, Nickelodeon, Barbie, Thomas & Friends, The Cat in the Hat, Sesame Street, Marvel Super Heroes, and DC Super Friends.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This book is great for young readers and kids who love Blaze."
"A new favorite in our house."
"My son loves blaze and he was very excited to read this book!!!!!"
"It was the best book ever and I Will read it over and over again.help my brother read and learn."
"My kid loves anything Blaze and the Monster Machines."
"Fun to read and kept the kids' attention."
"Makes great imaginary stories every time we open the book!"
"I give books with a personalized message written inside with a birthday/any gift."
Best Baby & Toddler Counting Books

This classic story of a famished caterpillar who eats his way through a week of various foods makes the perfect addition to your child's digital library, easily available to read again and again. Put 42 pieces together to assemble Eric Carle's much-loved The Very Hungry Caterpillar jigsaw puzzle from Mudpuppy.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The different sized pages in the middle of the book (after the caterpillar pops out of his egg on Sunday morning) showing different foods with holes punched in the centers to indicate where he's nibbled through them are darling - each page is thick enough that I think I'm going to cut a caterpillar-sized piece of green pipecleaner to give him so he can watch his very own caterpillar making its way through the one red apple he eats on Monday, two green pears on Tuesday, three purple plums on Wednesday, four red strawberries on Thursday, five bright orange oranges on Friday, and then the variety of multi-colored foods (probably not a caterpillar's scientifically accurate diet, but fun!)."
"The book itself is cute and perfect to read for babies and toddlers (repetition teaching days of the week, numbers 1-7, fruits and other foods, and life cycle). It is a solid, sturdy, proper board book with smooth finished edges that I feel comfortable having a baby touch (or even if they suck on it before you notice and pull it out of their mouth). The plush toy is also very well constructed with no loose seems and withstands gentle tugging on the ears, legs, and colored fringy hairs (of course you always need be careful with babies and choking on anything and not let them suck on this more than a moment or unsupervised)."
"She is rapt through reading after reading, and I still like it myself."
"Delightful story, beautiful art, clever little "bite" holes in the pages, and even a gentle lesson about caterpillars and butterflies."
"Another wonderful must have children's book!"
"Our daughter loved this book many years ago, and kids still love it."
"All times favorite."
"Went great with the big stuffed caterpillar I got my niece for the holidays!!!"
Best Children's Boats & Ships Books

Skandians, as any reader of Ranger's Apprentice could tell you, are known for their size and strength. And courage - which they will need every ounce of to do battle at sea against the other bands, the Wolves and the Sharks, in the ultimate race. Full of seafaring adventures and epic battles, Book 1 of The Brotherband Chronicles is sure to thrill readers of Ranger's Apprentice while enticing a whole new generation just now discovering the books. John Flanagan is the award-winning author of Ranger's Apprentice series and its new spin-off series Brotherband.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"For years I've enjoyed John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series and then the Brotherband Chronicles."
"Flanagan is a masterful storyteller with the ability to create complex situations and have his characters think through them in a way that is extremely intelligent, rather than creating almost "magical" situations to maneuver the characters out of their problems. It also tied in to the Ranger's Apprentice series well with Flanagan's continued use of many familiar characters such as Erak and Borsa It's the right amount of familiarity mixed with enough new and interesting characters to make it a completely different series."
"Energizing and uplifting the kind of book to read over and over again."
"The first part of the book is rather slow introducing our hero Hal (good choice very close to Halt) and his back story. In the 2nd part the introduction of the other main characters takes place and how their friendship and loyalty develops. As it is set in Skandia there is a lot of Nautical terms but John Flanagan does a good job of providing some basic information at the beginning. I have read every single book from the Ranger's Apprentice (including the Lost Stories) and now this one."
"It's well written, the characters are genuine, the story is well thought-out, and it enjoyable."
"What can I say other than it was great story and I'm on the fourth book."
"I remember a time in the Ranger's Apprentice series, when a Skandian man introduced Halt and Will to a new kind of ship. Flanagan is a master of detail, giving enough to paint a beautiful picture of the story, but not so much that we drown in a sea of descriptive words that leave nothing to the imagination."
"Great book fast paced found not put it down."
Best Children's Trains Books

A young boy, lying awake one Christmas Eve, is welcomed aboard a magical trip to the North Pole . One couldn't select a more delightful and exciting premise for a children's book than the tale of a young boy lying awake on Christmas Eve only to have Santa Claus sweep by and take him on a trip with other children to the North Pole. Amazon Exclusive: A Letter from Chris Van Allsburg Over the past twenty-five years, many people have shared stories with me about the effect that reading The Polar Express has had on their families and on their celebration of Christmas. A dozen years earlier the woman, who had no children of her own, befriended a neighbor, a boy of about seven, named Eddie. She had a collection of picture books, which she read to him, but around the holidays, the only story he ever wanted to hear, over and over, was The Polar Express . One year she offered to give him the book, but Eddie declined because he wanted to hear her read it aloud to him, which she continued to do every year until the boy and his family moved away. Eddie, quietly and a little self-consciously, read The Polar Express . Chris Van Allsburg Recipes and Activities to Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of The Polar Express (Click on Images for the Recipe or Activity [PDF])Snacks for Santa Candy Cane Sugar Cookies Polar Chocolate Nougat Caramel Squares Christmas Snowball Cookies A Polar Express Word Search A Polar Express Crossword A Polar Express Maze PreSchool-Grade 2-Chris Van Allsburg's Caldecott-winning Christmas classic (HM, 1985) is 15 years old, but it is a timeless story that just keeps getting better. As the Polar Express pulls into town one Christmas Eve, offering a magical, unforgettable trip to the North Pole, a young boy boards the train.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The book. originally purchased for my grandson included a bell."
"It is filled with music from the movie and combinations that mix the scores together especially with the songs a) The Polar Express sung by Tom Hanks and b) Suite from the Polar Express."
"We were all pleased with this lovely book and the extras, including my own kids---who read the book before the 'grands' read it."
"This is probably a book for the older kids- 7-10, but it's definitely a fun book to read to the little ones for the holidays."
"I bought this book for my 5 year old son this year because I bought tickets for the GSMR train ride."
"The story is so magical, you can really feel the spirt of Christmas in this book."
"First edition."
"This is a beloved children's book."
Best Children's Motorcycles Books

Draw 50 Cars, Trucks, and Motorcycles shows artists of all levels how to draw with ease by following simple step-by-step examples. An avid worker, Ames directed his own advertising agency, illustrated for several magazines, and illustrated approximately 150 books that range from picture books to postgraduate texts.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great book to teach you how to draw cars, trucks and motorcycles."
"Think I will be able to draw and teach my greandson to draw from these books."
"We bought a few for him (monsters, cars and animals) and some are a little more complicating for him but he loves it and started on them right away."
"My grandson loves this art series."
"This is a great book for kids learning to draw!"
"Bought several of this series of drawing books, All were well received as Christmas gifts."
"Much harder to understand than it says, bought for a 10 year old, and he can't figure it out."
Best Children's Aviation Books

New York Times Bestseller Rosie may seem quiet during the day, but at night she’s a brilliant inventor of gizmos and gadgets who dreams of becoming a great engineer. When her great-great-aunt Rose (Rosie the Riveter) comes for a visit and mentions her one unfinished goal—to fly—Rosie sets to work building a contraption to make her aunt’s dream come true. From the powerhouse author-illustrator team of Iggy Peck, Architect comes Rosie Revere, Engineer , another charming, witty picture book about believing in yourself and pursuing your passion. But when Great-Great Aunt Rose shows up for an extended stay sporting a red polka-dotted scarf à la Rosie the Riveter, she regales her niece with stories of her experiences building airplanes during World War II. She wistfully declares, “The only thrill left on my list is to fly!/But time never lingers as long as it seems./I'll chalk that one up to an old lady's dreams.” This is an itch that Rosie has to scratch, so she sets about designing a unique contraption to help her aunt take to the skies. The rhyming text may take a few practice shots before an oral reading just to get the rhythm right, but the story will no doubt inspire conversations with children about the benefits of failure and the pursuit of dreams.–Maggie Chase, Boise State University, IDα(c) Copyright 2013.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"With an engaging story that kept her attention and illustrations you could look at over and over again, I found myself reading with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes as Rosie battled her fear of failure to do great great things."
"She had fears, had setbacks, lost confidence for awhile, until someone showed her that even her so called “failures” are just opportunities to learn and do things better the next time."
"Rosie the Riveter, the original female who can get the job done and smash gender stereotype is re-introduced in a younger version of a science savvy girl who is equipped to deliver what is needed in today's world."
"And it was worth the wait- she loves this book and the others by Andrea Beaty."
"I bought this for my three year old girls and at first they weren't super interested, but they recently really took notice of all of the neat little details in the book illustrations."
"My 5 year old wants to be an aerospace engineer, so I am always looking for fun little ways to encourage his passion."
"My little girl loves that the little blond looks like her and we talk about the message of the book each time we read it."
"Such a good lesson for all kids, but especially young girls, and I love that it encourages interest in science and math."