From the series Machines at Work
A Backhoe’s Day
Reading Level Grades 1-2Interest Level Grades K – 3Copyright 2023
Reviewed
From the series Machines at Work
Reading Level Grades 1-2Interest Level Grades K – 3Copyright 2023
ReviewedIt is time to build a road! This low-level title shows how backhoes help in road construction, from digging trenches to leveling ground. Narrative text follows a backhoe during a day on the job to inform about the different parts and tasks of a backhoe, while colorful illustrations support the text. Questions encourage students to connect with the text, while fun facts add extra information. Young readers will love digging into this fun title!
Teetering on the line of narrative nonfiction and pure nonfiction, this series features a cute illustrated astronaut named "Blastoff Jimmy" who leads readers through the books. The illustrations are adorable, filled with helpful labels that give readers an image to marry with the new vocabulary words they're picking up. The illustrations feature a beautifully diverse cast of workers who are all smiling and happy to be doing their jobs using their complex machines. Glossary terms are highlighted throughout the text and then defined at the end so as not to distract from the narrative. Libraries that purchase this series might find themselves debating where to place it: is it truly nonfiction or not? Regardless of that neverending debate, readers will happily scoop up the books and hungrily devour their content, so put them somewhere they'll find their match. VERDICT: A first purchase series.
School Library Journal
