Editorial Review

Although this book was around when many of today's parents wereyoungsters, it has remained a steadfast must-have in every toddler's library. For starters, it's a great vocabulary guide that names the many things that go (and some that haven't a prayer of going, but are great fun to imagine anyway). It's also teeming with detail-rich scenes and characters on every page, teaching children the rewards of looking long and closely (such as finding the hidden "Goldbug" in each spread). Along the way it entertains with the silly and slapstick--everything from toothpaste and toothbrush cars to six fire department vehicles that show up to extinguish a ladybug-size fire in a miniature pink convertible. What's most amazing about this book, however, is its longevity. When you purchase it for your fledgling talker, you should consider it an investment. Even 11-, 12-, and 13-year-olds are known to pore over the book nostalgically, cooing at Lowly Worm and eagerly tracking Officer Flossie's book-long chase after that irresponsible, speedster driver in a cowboy hat. (Ages 2 and older) Read more

Reviews (86)

A Scarry Classic
I first read this book to my daughter 22 years ago. It was her favorite, and alas it wore out. Searching to find Goldbug on each and every page was the most fun, and the verse was very entertaining as we did so. It helped teach her words, spelling and all about the different ways to get from here to there. I just reordered a copy to surprise her for Christmas, as she prepares to start her own family. I highly recommend this book by one of the most beloved children's authors.

Simply outstanding
I grew up with Richard Scarry books, including the now out-of-print "Busy Busy World."For some reason I had forgotten what a gem this is.Any child will delight in it, and for parents it is so nice to have a book that can be different every time you read it, as most of our books are read over, and over, and over.

My son's absolute favorite book
My son (21 months and obsessed with cars and trucks) asks to read his "cars and trucks book" every single day. It seems like every time we read it, we find something new. Great for keeping kids engaged, and the photos are excellent. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals - Pigs    2. Automobiles    3. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    4. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    5. Children: Grades 1-2    6. Classics    7. Fiction    8. Transportation    9. Transportation - General    10. Trucks    11. Vehicles    12. Juvenile Fiction / General    13. Juvenile fiction    14. Things that go   

Editorial Review

"The wheels on the bus go round and round.... All over town." Thistraditional song, a favorite of children everywhere, is adapted and illustratedby Paul O. Zelinsky, winner of the Caldecott Medal for his lush version of Read more

Reviews (55)

The Wheels on the Bus
This is one of the best children's books my children have ever read.My 18 year old son had this book for ever, now his son is reading the book.We had to order another one as the first book has been used so many times some of the features don't work anymore.My 3 year grandson loves all the movement the book offers.This is his favorite storybook.

Let's sing along
One of our favorite songs is now a pop-up book!This is a colorful and very busy book.It's great fun, but difficult for quick little fingers to maneuver without damaging the tabs.I will put this book away till he's 4 years old and try again then.

One of the All-Time Greats
The art is beautiful, the song is beloved and there are stories within the story, beautifully depicted, that keep the fascination level high. Overall one of the very best kids books I have ever seen. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Buses    2. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    3. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    4. Children's songs    5. Interactive Adventure    6. Lifestyles - City & Town Life    7. Songs and music    8. Specimens    9. Texts    10. Toy and movable books    11. Juvenile Fiction / Concepts / General   

Editorial Review

Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel Mary Anne make quite a team. Theinseparable duo digs the great canals for the big boats to travel through, cuts through thelarge mountains so trains can pass, and hollows out the deep cellars for the greatskyscrapers in the city. But the introduction of gasoline, electric, and diesel shovelsmeans big trouble for Mike and Mary Anne. No one wants an old-fashioned steam shovellike Mary Anne when a modern shovel can do the digging in half the time! Forced totravel far out of the city to look for work, Mike and Mary Anne find themselves in thelittle town of Popperville. Mike and Mary Anne make a bid to dig the cellar for the newtown hall, promising the town that if they can't dig the cellar in just one day they'll acceptno payment for the job. Will Mike and Mary Anne be able to complete the job? Thewhole town of Popperville turns out to watch. Virginia Lee Burton, author of such classicchildren's books as Read more

Reviews (68)

Still a Fan
I still love this book.Teaches the balance between progress and tradition.Hard work, good attitude, and ingenuity pay off in the end.Had to explain what furnace was (we live in Miami), but all my kids (8, 6, & 4) enjoyed it.

Still one of my favorite stories
In an age when everything keeps getting replaced by more modern equipment, this story celebrates making use of a good steam shovel. I still have my copy from when I was a kid.

Life's Little Messages
A book originally in 1939, with messages and meanings that withstand the test of time.This book provides the following messages in an interesting tale of a man and his steamshovel.
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Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 1-2    3. Classics    4. Fiction    5. Juvenile Fiction    6. Steam shovels    7. Juvenile Fiction / Classics   

Editorial Review

This old-fashioned tale about one little snowplow's determination inthe face of a small-town blizzard has all the charm and moral grit of Read more

Reviews (18)

Our favorite Virginia Lee Burton Book!
We love this book, it's our absolute favorite Virginia Lee Burton book.My children always seem inspired and excited by the story of the snow plow that nothing could stop!
Classic children's tale
This is of course by the same author as "Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel," and just as delightful.Appeals to girls and boys alike, and as your child grows, (s)he will find more and more in the book -- maps of the town, buildings' names, names of machine parts, and more.Strongly recommended, even for those unfamiliar with "Mike Mulligan."

Not Burton's Best - a review of "Katy and the Big Snow"
I have to agree with the other 3-Star Reviewer.This is not one of Burton's best books.My children (boy and girl; almost 4 and 6) didn't care much for it.There is none of the usual clamoring for another read.
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Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 2-3    3. Classics    4. Fiction    5. Lifestyles - City & Town Life    6. Snow    7. Tractors    8. Transportation - General    9. Juvenile Fiction / Transportation   

Reviews (3)

Great early reader for car-obsessed boys!
My almost 5 year old son is learning to read rapidly, but there are so few books which he enjoys AND can read well. He was highly motivated to read Wheels, as he adores vehicles of all kinds. The format is very simple (1-2 short sentences per page)and includes plenty of long and short vowel words, as well as "oo" sounds and "igh" sounds. Hardly any words with 2 syllables.

A reading teacher
This book is perfect for the child who is learning their letters and wants to READ. The word WHEELS is on every page. After reading this book a few times, your child will be able to pick the word WHEELS out. Great fun!Great confidence builder! Great sing-song wording!

A lively fast paced fun read for short attention spans
I checked this book out at the library and my two year old has me read it to him at least 5 times ina row before he will let me stop.This is the first book he has shown an interest in other than ripping the pages on Green Eggs and Ham.The illustrations are bright and colorful, showing things that little ones are interested in, with only short phrases that make the pace fast and keep those pages turning.I would recommend this book to anyone who has a child fascinated with moving vehicles. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children: Kindergarten    3. Juvenile literature    4. Readers - Beginner    5. Transportation - General    6. Wheels    7. Juvenile Fiction / Transportation   

Reviews (2)

Probably one of the best books we own!
If you have a boy who loves building machines, this book is a definite must.There isn't a storyline in it - it'sjust full of building machines operated by Teddy bears, with descriptions of what they're doing, what the machines are used for, and how they actually work.They're cartoons, but it's so informative, that my little guy just loves knowing what all the machines do.He even knows what rebar is now!I can't say enough how neat this book is and what a great find it is too.My personal favorite is the underwater bulldozer.Who knew that existed?!A great, great book and something every little boy should own.I'm going back for more in this series!

One of my toddler's favorite construction books
Great pictures, simple text. We've taken this book out of the library so often, the library thinks we own it. Well...now we will! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Preschool    4. Construction equipment    5. General    6. Juvenile literature    7. Machinery    8. Juvenile Nonfiction / Transportation / General   

Reviews (1)

A wonderful children's book
Construction is one of the many First Discovery books that all feature beautiful drawings, both on normal paper and on transparencies that cleverly fit on both opposing pages. Although recommended for ages 4-8, youcan actually read it to childrenyounger than that. As soon as they havelearned not to tear the pages, they can browse through it themselves. Thebook depicts various aspects of construction, such as demolition,foundation laying, concrete mixing, cranes, tunnel building, roadconstruction, etc. The pictures are accompanied by just the right amount oftext, so that children can learn the names of the described items. Althoughnot 100% toddler-proof, the book is quite sturdy and should survive asignificant amount of abuse. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 1-2    4. Construction equipment    5. Earthmoving machinery    6. General    7. Juvenile literature    8. Specimens    9. Toy and movable books   

Reviews (3)

My toddler wants to read it again and again!
This is an excellent book for your toddler.It has been my 17-month-old's favorite book for 3 months in a row!He can't get enough of the construction vehicles.And, now, he and I both get excited when we see a "rubber-tired backhoe" out on the road!

Construction Zone Obsession
Construction Zone is the first "truck book" that I purchased for my son. I bought it for him when he was about 15 months. It is by far his favorite book.I need to purchase another one because the pages have been taped so many times.The only problem that I would have with the book is the quality of paper. It's not really sturdy for the age group that reads it.But I also should consider the HEAVY use that our copy receives.The photographs in it are perfect and it names each piece of equipment.It's a very basic book that shows all the basic construction equipment along with a garbage truck.I think it is a fine purchase.

Actual photographs of the construction stuff your kids love
My son loves trucks (he's 15 mos. old) and he loves this book. It is his favorite.Definitely buy it for your little truck lover too (whenever my son sees a bulldozer, he now says "bull" after reading this bookover and over!). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Building    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 3-4    4. Construction equipment    5. Earthmoving machinery    6. Equipment and supplies    7. General    8. Juvenile literature    9. Juvenile Nonfiction / Boys & Men    10. Road & motor vehicles   

Editorial Review

For children who are passionate about machines, especially the reallybig ones, Read more

Reviews (8)

My 2 Year Old Always Asks for this one
He doesn't get sick of it! He loves pointing out all the different types of trucks, finding the boss, and talking about the road builders going to build their next road.

The best book for Truck obsessed toddlers!
I bought this book second hand for 1.50 and wow, 1 year later it is still his favorite book. Our copy is held together with packing tape and glue. Every time I get bored with it and hide it, he still manages to find it. My two year old will never part with his road builders book

My boy loves this book!
If your little one is interested in construction machines, this book is a must.It is great.My boy memorized the words to this book when he was three and it helped him learn to read.The pictures are wonderful-- colorful and cartoonish yet very detailed as well. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Preschool    4. Design and construction    5. Juvenile literature    6. Road machinery    7. Roads    8. Science & Technology    9. Transportation - General    10. Early learning / early learning concepts    11. Transportation / General   

Reviews (4)

Wonderful book
My son loves this book, all the different kinds of cars and trucks are fun to look at, and the rythm of the story is great for reading aloud.I hope the paperback edition maintains the foldout "centerfold" of theoriginal.

Reprint this FAST!
This can't be out of stock! As a children's librarian, I found this to be a wonderful book.Lots of repetition and vehicles, with big clear pictures.What more could you want?Even parentsget into the spirit ofthe book, yelling 'Stop,' and 'Help' in the appropriate places.Hope thatthis is not a prelude to out-of-print

Great!!
I work as a Toddler teacher in a daycare with children whose age range from 14mos to 2yrs and this is thier favorite book.I was so glad to see that it was here because I have looked everywhere for since our copy wasrecently ripped by one of the childern.I can not tell you just how muchthe children love this book.If I could give more stars I would. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children: Preschool    2. Fiction    3. Roads    4. Vehicles    5. Non-Classifiable   

Reviews (1)

Fun activity book for kids in love with tractors.
For kids in love with tractors or heavy equipment, this is a fun activitybook requiring some but not a lot of help from parents.Colorful, smartillustrations and details about a tractor in trouble, the reader is takenthrough interactive steps in how to help the tractor's operator, even inoperating the necessary machinery and a working carwash!The book is anendearing one (even for parents who know nothing about tractors and didn'tthink they would ever want to know much about them).It's only downfall isthe same thing that is wonderful about it -- there is so much to do, thatthese activities are quickly overdone, resulting in the need for a goodthick roll of tape and some creative mending on the parents' part.It isworth the effort, however!I'd definitely buy it again; he loves it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Pop-Ups    2. Children: Preschool    3. Fiction    4. Juvenile Fiction    5. Specimens    6. Toy and movable books    7. Toys, Dolls, & Puppets    8. Tractors    9. Transportation - General   

Reviews (2)

My two-and-a-half-year old loves this book!
My son, who is the real reviewer of this book, loves this book that he can recite almost all of them; of course, it helps that he loves trucks! The poems are fun and he loves to pretend he is a truck, too, with the help of this book!

A delightful book of poems about vehicles
This amusing book of poems is a delight to both parent and child.There are high-quality photos of various kinds of modern trucks, each with an accompanying rhyme.The poems are rythmic, humorous, and memorable...in fact, my 2 year-old bursts ito a recital whenever he sees a similar truck on the road! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8    2. Children's poetry, American    3. Children: Preschool    4. Juvenile poetry    5. Poetry    6. Trucks   

Reviews (1)

Recommended for the busy toddler or young child!
When I worked for a day care center, this was one of my favorites to read to the toddlers.It was one of the children's favorites as well. They loved to repeat the rhythmic lines (and Bam! Bam! Bam! is easy for even abeginning talker to repeat).This book does a lot to engage young childrenvisually as well with its bold and bright pictures, containing some of themost interesting illustrations in children's books.If you can find it, Ialsorecommend the audio cassette for this book.Children will naturallyfollow thebeats and rhythm of the song -like narration. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    2. Children's poetry, American    3. Children: Preschool    4. Juvenile Nonfiction    5. Juvenile poetry    6. Poetry    7. Poetry - General    8. Transportation - General    9. Wrecking    10. Juvenile Nonfiction / Science & Technology / How Things Work    11. Modern fiction   

Reviews (1)

Not Just Bulldozers
My three-year-old son is fascinated by earth moving equipment. He wants to know EVERYTHING about how they work and what they do. This book does not disappoint. It's heavily detailed, and extremely informative about all sorts of equipment (not just bulldozers). I found that taking a cross-section out of a ship we built from legos helped him understand what was happening in the pictures better. The text can be a bit boring, and by around the hundredth reading it can get irritating. But reading different sections of the book keeps it fresh, and the amazing amount of genuinely interesting information packed into this little book (and subsequently into my son's little head) makes it all worthwhile. The glossary in the back makes all the concepts involved really understandable, even to me, my son's non-technical mom. If your child is into diggers and dumpers, this book is a must. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bulldozers    2. Children's 4-8    3. Children: Grades 1-2    4. Construction equipment    5. General    6. Juvenile Nonfiction    7. Juvenile literature    8. Technology - How Things Work/Are Made    9. Transportation - Cars & Trucks   

Reviews (1)

A great book for a construction enthusiast
We bought this book for our 3 year old son.He has a large collection of books with pictures of construction equipment.This book has wonderful descriptions and additional information.Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - Technical    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Science    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Construction equipment    5. Hoisting machinery    6. Juvenile literature    7. Machinery    8. Science & Technology - How Things Work    9. Science & Technology - Machinery    10. Technology - How Things Work/Are Made    11. Technology - Machinery    12. Transportation - General    13. Trucks    14. Juvenile Nonfiction / Transportation / General   

Reviews (1)

Great interactive book for toddlers!
Though my son was only 2-1/2 when I bought him this book, he has had agreat time reading it with Mom and making the tractors "do thework."If your youngster likes big trucks and tractors, this book isa must! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Backhoes    2. Children's 4-8    3. Children: Grades 2-3    4. Interactive Adventure    5. Juvenile Fiction    6. Juvenile literature    7. Science & Technology    8. Specimens    9. Toy and movable books    10. Transportation - General    11. Non-Classifiable