Road Work Ahead
Penguin Books/Viking Children’s
Age 3-5
32 pages
by Anastasia Suen, illustrated by Jannie Ho
Synopsis from Penguin Books:
When a family sets out on a trip to Grandma’s, their journey proves to be more like a visit to a construction site. Sidewalks are being poured, streetlights repaired, roads resurfaced. The noise of jackhammers, whistles, and horns fills the air. Boys and girls alike will love seeing the big machines at work. Anastasia Suen’s simple text and Jannie Ho’s bright, up-beat pictures make this one road trip to remember.
There’s something fascinating about construction when it comes to kids. Road Work Ahead takes you on a ride past cement mixers, police cars and cranes. My 4-year old enjoyed the journey, pointing out the vehicles we have seen in our own city and asking about ones that weren’t familiar to her. The text uses simple vocabulary in a fun rhyme making it easy for beginner readers. My daughter almost sounded like she was singing the story as she reread it to me.
The lyrical text seems almost secondary to the colourful illustrations that fill the pages, making it a great book for a picture walk. The rounded vehicles and curvy roads have you winding through the story, following the road from page to page. All the happy faces aside (I mean no one but the kids would be happy to go through detours), if you have a construction site fan or a child who loves things that GO, Road Work Ahead will make a fun read.
You can add Road Work Ahead to your personal library by visiting your local book store or visiting Penguin Books. Visit our Kid’s Books section for other great book recommendations. What are you reading with your kids?
I have to thank Anastasia Suen and Jannie Ho for my review copy.