All The Construction Vehicle Books
Can YOU tell the difference between a backhoe and an excavator?
When my middle son turned 2, we began a phase that still lingers today - ALL. THE. CONSTRUCTION. BOOKS. No cutesy stories, he wanted to soak up everything there was to learn about every single type of vehicle. This was a new topic for me, since before he was born, I could barely identify one vehicle from another. I once remember driving and him calling out, pointing at what I now recognize as an excavator, exclaiming, “what’s that,” to which I replied, “a tractor” with complete certainty. Boy, was I wrong! When my 2-year-old starting correcting me, “no bulldozer, is backhoe!” or “no dump truck, bucket wheel excavator,” I figured I better learn the lingo in order to survive.
As such, we’ve read what feels like pretty much every construction book out there in the last 5 years. And truth be told, they are not all created equal. Some are painfully dull (in my opinion) while others are charming, engaging, and easily rise to the top.
If you’re just dipping your toe into this genre, a great starting place is Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night? The diggers have cute, friendly faces, including a mama + baby digger.
And of course, the obvious fan-fave Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site series which includes Mighty, Mighty Construction Site, Construction Site Mission Demolition, Road Crew Coming Through, and my personal favorite, Three Cheers For Kid McGear that (finally) spotlights a female vehicle, a skid steer named Kid McGear.
The next group of construction books I’d recommend are informative ones; picture books that educate readers on the different kinds of vehicles; what they do, how to recognize a specific type, and understanding their function and purpose. Digger, Dozer, Dumper and The Construction Alphabet book are the fantastic for a kiddo aiming to learn about the variety of diggers out there. The alphabet book identifies 26+ vehicles, including some obscure types including impact hammer, vacuum truck, and more.
For those looking to combine their favorite interests, for example, diggers + dinosaurs, Diggersaurs is a favorite. Be sure to look for the paperback/hardcover, not the board book). And the follow-up, Diggersaurs Explore, and Diggersaurs Mission to Mars.
There’s also an entire sub genre of construction books centered around digger characters, often following an underdog story arc. One of our favorites is Little Excavator, affectionately referred to as “Little E” in the story. Another one we’ve enjoyed is The Digger and the Flower, where an empathic digger is conflicted between doing his job and protecting the one remaining flower in a city devoid of green. The sequel to this, The Digger and the Duckling follows a similar plot line. Also in this subgenre is Backhoe Joe and I’m Dirty (the inspiration for the popular kids TV show, Stinky and Dirty).
A more unique construction book is Who Made This Cake? which flies under the radar because the word “digger” is not in the title. The premise is that these giant vehicles are working together to bake a ridiculously oversized cake, with a significant focus on the vehicles. Margaret Wise Brown’s, Diggers is another one they reach for often. It features more types of digging than just vehicles, but the illustrations and beautiful with text in different shapes.
If you’re more interested in the minutia of a construction site, The Ultimate Construction Site Book is fantastic! Be aware, this has many pull tabs and moving parts, so perhaps not ideal for the youngest vehicle enthusiasts. A better option for younger kiddos is Hide-and-Seek at the Construction Site.
There are obviously so many more in this category, but these are far and above our favorites. What’s your favorite construction site book?