I Am a Backhoe

School Library Journal

PreS-K—An imaginative little boy pretends to be a succession of trucks: backhoe, bulldozer, crane, dump truck, and steamroller. Near the end, Daddy joins his son's creative playtime as a flatbed, which is followed by the two sharing a book on trucks. Richly colored, digitally enhanced spreads depict the boy at play, intermingled with illustrations of the actual vehicles. The text is set in white and includes plenty of action words. This is a worthy choice for preschoolers and kindergarteners with a big appetite for truck books.—Lynn K. Vanca, Akron-Summit County Public Library, Richfield, OH

Kristi Jemtegaard

Young truck-lovers (and truck-lovers' parents) rejoice! Here's the book you've always wanted: A neatly repetitive story, clear uncluttered illustrations and a small square size make this an ideal choice for very young readers.
—The Washington Post

Kirkus Reviews

Like many young boys, this book's protagonist marries an active imagination to a love of trucks. In a layout perfectly designed for the youngest readers, Hines uses one double-page spread to show the young boy acting out the motions of one of his favorite trucks: "I dig my hand / into the sand, / my scooper hand. / Dig. Dig. Dig. / Lift, turn, tip. / I am... // a backhoe"-with a turn of the page that reveals the boy still engaged in pretend play but with the actual truck massively in the background, also performing the same action. The trucks include the titular backhoe, a bulldozer, crane truck, dump truck and roller. In a wonderful ending segue, Daddy the flatbed truck backs the young boy up onto the couch, where they share a book together. The digital artwork has a soft look and feel and features vibrant colors for both the clearly outlined objects and the blank backgrounds. Spare text with a simple vocabulary makes this an excellent choice for both toddlers and those who are just beginning to read. The author has turned an ordinary (and overdone) topic into something extraordinary. (Picture book. 2-6)