11/01/2021
K-Gr 2—Each book in this bright, exciting series follows the same format: the author describes what the vehicle is, its various parts, its important job, and includes an infographic of fast facts. The simple, straightforward text is full of sight words, and the sentences are limited to less than ten words on each page. Picture clues help evolving readers decode unfamiliar terms. The labelled illustrations call out interesting items on many of the photos, particularly ones not pointed out in the sentences. Though the focus of the photos is obviously the vehicles, there are a few times where people are depicted, most of whom appear white in every book, except Police Cars, which does include several Black police officers. Considering the focus is on the machines and not the people who operate them, this is not as major of an oversight as it would be for career-type books, though librarians seeking diversity may want to look elsewhere. VERDICT Overall, a pretty good addition to collections servicing those beginning readers working on skill building.
