Written and illustrated by James Horvath
My rating: ★★★
ISBN: 978-0062357021
Publisher: Harper Collins
Date of publication: April 26, 2016
Age: 5 - 8 years
Themes: dogs, construction equipment, working together, building
Top dog Duke and his crew of construction-worker dogs are hard at work building a new park. They need lots of cool equipment to help them dig, haul, push, and plow—like a backhoe, dump truck, bulldozer, and grader. But what happens when the crew finds something unexpected buried deep in the ground?
I picked up this book because it was a new release at my library. Turns out, it's an early reader conversion of the previously published picture book of the same name. Which is fine and dandy—there's even a couple other companion books involving the same themes. But I'll be reviewing it now as an early reader.
The illustrations are perfect for kids. They're bright and cartoony and depict dogs and construction equipment. I mean, what kid doesn't love dogs and construction equipment? The text, however, is a bit more complex for the beginning reader (there's lots of construction vocabulary after all) but the wonderfully done rhyming scheme aids in that regard. It also makes for a smooth, fun read. Besides being a fun early reader, it'd be a great readaloud in storytime (I do love a good rhyming book).
But I will touch on my biggest complaint: the story itself. I'm sorry, but a pack of dogs dig up a GIANT dinosaur bone...and they don't so much as lick the thing?? They're DOGS! Totally missed out on some fun to be had with that. It makes for a story that is just plain standard. What a shame. But hey, it's another fine book to recommend.
Find it at your library or on Amazon
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