Highway Builders

Lisa Arsenault is an elementary-school teacher in Ajax, Ontario.

One would think that everything that could be said about the subject of
big trucks has been said, but this author has found a fresh approach.
Highway Builders is a welcome addition to the machines genre for young
children.

This picture book for young children explains how roads are built, from
the initial clearing of the site to the final paving with asphalt.
Large, earth-moving machines, trucks, backhoes, compactors, graders,
rollers, and pavers are described. The same format is used for each
machine: a half-page general description with a labeled illustration
beneath and on the facing page two captioned illustrations of the
machine in action. A useful glossary and a page of recycling information
complete the book.

Although this is a book for young children, the author does not insult
the intelligence of her young readers and is not afraid to use “big”
words. Questions that a child might likely ask, such as why doesn’t a
crane tip over, are anticipated and answered. Simile is used to convey
an accurate, easily envisioned description: the backhoe loader can move
sideways like a crab. The literary device of comparison is also used to
clarify information: a dump truck can carry 150 tons, or 27 elephants.

By the end of this book, the reader has indeed learned how a highway is
constructed, and the potentially dry information has been conveyed in a
highly readable form. Recommended.