Let's Look at Tractors

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

"Let's Go" is the title of this series, and this board book is chock full of information. The drawings are almost like photographs. Each spread features a type of tractor with information about the major tractor parts. There is also a question posed on certain spreads which often require some counting and observational skills. Very early tractors ran on steam and the big green one depicted has callouts to name its major components. Modern tractors run on diesel or gasoline. These too were used mainly in farming, but mostly small farms. Giant tractors are used on large commercial farms and as the text notes, they can weigh as much as three elephants. A caterpillar tractor has treads rather than wheels, and combines are large tractor-like vehicles that are used to harvest grains and when doing so separating out the chaff. Hay balers collect the stalks and put them into large rolls or rectangular bundles. The telescopic handler moves hay bales and other items and often places them in neat stacks. The final spread shows a drag tractor which one might see at a country fair or automotive sporting event. The publishers have created a series that looks at a variety of vehicles—boats, planes, tractors and trains. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot