On the Move (Ladders)

Now in Spanish--five popular titles that mix fun, facts, and fiction!

PreSchool-Grade 1-On the Move presents various modes of transportation, including a bicycle, car, train, ship, and helicopter. Each double-page spread contains a simple introductory paragraph and a large cartoon drawing of the featured vehicle, along with labels highlighting some of its characteristics. One or two captioned full-color photographs provide additional examples. Occasionally, sidebars tout the "world's highest truck" or the "world's longest car" without providing specific details about the size of these wonders or where they can be found. A short story about a bus driver who tries out different jobs in the transportation field appears at the end, along with two puzzles (an easy maze and one that asks children to identify close-up pictures) and a true-or-false quiz. The second title follows the same format, but gets a little more specific by discussing particular trucks (e.g., bulldozer, crane, fire engine). Here, the story deals with a contest to see who can make the best guess about the fantastic capabilities of the vehicles being used at a construction site. The illustrations in both offerings are clear and the layouts are nice and clean. Unfortunately, not much information is provided and the texts are often a bit sketchy. While the puzzles and look-and-find spreads might encourage children to take a closer look at the books, the short stories seem pointless and out of place.
Joy Fleishhacker, formerly at School Library Journal
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.