I Drive a Crane

Children's Literature

Peter is a big crane operator. When Peter's crane is needed for a job, the workers put the crane together first. Because the crane is so big it is not taken down at the end of every day; instead, it is left up until the last day of the job and then taken down. The crane can lift big things or heavy things like concrete sections of a wall. Sometimes at the end of the day workers will lift a piece of equipment with the crane and leave it suspended in the air. This protects the equipment from theft or vandalism. Readers will learn about the cab of a crane and all the dials and controls that a crane operator has to know about. The bright red color of the crane stands out against the muted grays and browns of the backgrounds. Inset text boxes on each page help reinforce facts. Helpful pages at the back of the book include a diagram of a crane, a glossary, fun facts, web resources, a brief bibliography, and an index. The front and end flaps have tire tracks running top to bottom to add to the attraction of this "working" title. This is part of the "Working Wheels" series, which currently includes 30 titles. Series titles are included in the help pages. This is an excellent early career book for elementary collections. 2006, Picture Window Books, Ages 6 to 8.
—Joyce Rice