Tow Trucks

This series highlights big machines with important jobs. Readers get involved in the action, watching firefighters work in Fire Trucks and Firefighting Planes. While all the books are interesting and engaging, Tow Trucks is particularly cool as it runs through the whole process of getting the car loaded up when it can’t go on its own. The accompanying photos reflect what the text is explaining, allowing readers to interpret picture clues easily. Each book includes a diverse cast of people, adding to their appeal. Some readers may struggle with the big words, like “retardant,” “operators,” and “cockpit,” particularly if those words are unfamiliar to them, so caregivers and educators will want to keep that in mind before using these titles as independent reading materials. VERDICT A recommended first purchase, particularly if you need nonfiction books for evolving readers.

These books incorporate brightly-colored page layouts, numerous photographs, separated text boxes, and photo labels to help engage and encourage young readers. Each book shows various ways the title machine works in a community. Each spread has very sparse text. Vocabulary is repetitive and approachable for beginning readers. Every book includes a “Parts of” the machine section which includes a photograph and colorful, descriptive labels. Also included in each title is a picture glossary and a “To Learn More” section that provides one website and a search term, helping early learners navigate the Internet quickly and safely. This series is recommended for primary nonfiction collections and for collections needing more basic titles.