Books About Trucks

Tip Tip Dig Dig by Emma Garcia was an instant classic in our house. My son loves vehicles, and this book was the perfect length with the right amount of text and awesome, almost Eric Carle-like illustrations. Usually, books about vehicles just name the trucks and diggers, but this book shows children not only what they do but also how they can work together to make something. Great book for the digger and backhoe obsessed!

The Three Little Rigs by David Gordon is a fresh twist on the classic “Three Little Pigs,” featuring trucks instead of pigs. My son who was three at the time we read it together-  absolutely loved this book. In the story, the “wolf” is a wrecking ball that smashes and crashes the Little Rigs garages. I initially found the “wolf” a little scary, but after reading the book, I asked my son about his favorite part, and he said it was the wrecking ball. The illustrations are fantastic, and I wasn’t surprised to learn that the author/illustrator has worked for Pixar.

Road Builders by B.G. Hennessy is a story all about how a road is built , explaining what the crew does, and how each type of construction vehicle has a different role in building a road.  I like that it explains the process from start to finish, in just the right level of detail for preschoolers.  I also like that there is a female crew member and her participation is seamless. My son liked this book as a preschooler, but the real fan was his little sister, who was legitimately obsessed with it. Now, as a teacher, I take it into my PreK class to support many of our STEM lessons about engineering and construction. 

Dig Dig Digging by Margaret Mayo is one of the few books that we have purchased twice. Our first copy was so well-loved that we knew it had to be immediately replaced when it could no longer be read. This book holds a special place in my heart and mind because both of my children have gone through a phase where it’s their absolute favorite. The book introduces readers to different vehicles such as fire trucks, rescue helicopters, and bulldozers. The text is repetitive and will get stuck in your head for days, but it’s okay because your kids will recite it along with you.

The Truck Book by Harry McNaught was a favorite in our house, mostly because it has a forklift. There isn’t much of a story; instead, it’s a collection of labeled illustrations. Once my own children were done with this book, I took it to my classroom, where it was well-loved and a great addition to our road-building activities in our block center.  

Construction Countdown by K.C Olson is a counting book that uses backhoes, dump trucks, and cement mixers among other things to count. This is a wonderful book to help you bring more math into your storytime or circle time routine. We know that when we include math books in our storytimes, our students thrive! 

Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker. This book is starting to get pretty popular, and rightfully so, it’s a lovely book. In it busy little construction vehicles wind down for the night and fall asleep. I never thought I would say an excavator was cute, but the one in the book is. It’s a wonderful bedtime book, and your child will enjoy winding down with the sleepy bulldozer and his friends. My daughter completely adored this book – it was a favorite bedtime book for years, and unlike many of her former picture books, I am not allowed to take this one to my classroom without her permission!  

I Love Trucks! by Philemon Sturges is about all sorts of trucks from firetrucks, bulldozers, ice cream trucks, and of course garbage trucks!  Each page has simple text that gives a brief description of the main action each truck does like roll, dump, dig, etc. My son eats this book up even though he enjoys much longer books as well. The illustrations by Shari Halpern ( who also illustrated the previous books) are bright bold and have a cartoon-like quality that grabs young children’s attention.