I think it’s fair to say that every child goes through a construction truck phase. It’s also fair to say some of them never grow out of it! Books about construction work and trucks have been a staple in our home from the very beginning. Does anyone love construction vehicles as much as a three year old? Publishers are well-aware of this and there are great books out there.
These construction picture books were favorites of both my boys. Check these titles out from the library, they are sure to be a hit with your kids, too. (Note: Covers and titles are affiliate links.)
The Ultimate Construction Site Book by Anne-Sophie Baumann. This book is kind of amazing. Not only does it show construction sites that might now immediately come to mind, like roller coasters and circuses, it does it in a way that involves wonderful paper engineering. The construction of this book (pun intended) includes lift the flap, pull the tab, pop ups and extensions that will amaze your kids!
Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site By Sherri Duskey Rinker. Fantastic. My son memorized this book and it was so cute to watch him “read” it to himself. This rhyming bestselling book about all the construction trucks and machines saying goodnight at the site has spawned several sequels, including a daytime version, Mighty, Mighty Construction Site, and the upcoming Construction Site on Christmas Night as well as themed play scenes and puzzles!
Digger Man by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha. As a parent of two boys, I especially love this book because it depicts brothers teaching brothers the importance of diggers! The older brother discusses how he is planning to buy a huge digger and revels in all the amazing things diggers do.
Good Morning, Digger by Anne Rockwell. So, even though you might not like the loud construction noise every morning, your kid loves it because it signals the excitement of new construction! In this construction-themed picture book, a young boy takes a morning stroll in the city and revels in the fascinating work of a digger at a construction site.
A Year at a Construction Site by Nicholas Harris. Your child will be fascinated by the incredibly detailed illustrations in this book which takes the reader on a year-long journey at a construction site.
Phoebe and Digger by Tricia Springstubb. It’s not just boys who love diggers and knocking things down. Phoebe struggles a bit with having a new baby sister and plays enthusiastically with her toy digger around the house until it’s time to go to the park. At the park a bully takes her digger and Phoebe’s mom gets the chance to demonstrate she loves her just as much as her new brother.
The Mixed-Up Truck by Stephen Savage. Wonderful hijinks ensue when a cement truck heads out for his first day on the job. But stops at the wrong sites lead to mixing up a cake, frosting and lots of bubbles. This book is a nice way to inject some humor into all the construction-themed reading you’ll be doing during your child’s preschool years!
Roadwork by Sally Sutton. This book has all the fun of watching roadwork and none of the smell. Onomatopoeia and dynamic illustrations makes it even more fun.
Who Made This Cake? by Chihiro Nakagawa. Guess what? You can construct your cake and eat it, too! Kids will love to watch a hoard of tiny construction workers and vehicles make a gigantic birthday cake in this whimsical picture book. After reading, be sure to take your kids and their toy trucks outside to the sandbox or mud puddle so they can make their own creations!
Tip Tip Dig Dig by Emma Garcia. I’ve spent hours reading this book, now you can, too. This is one of the construction work books that effectively uses onomatopoetic text to create a simple but engaging narrative about vehicles working together to create a playground for the community.
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton. This classic needs no introduction. It’s much longer than most of the construction picture books on this list, but for truck-mad kids it is a good way to get them to sit still and get used to listening to longer books.
Twenty Big Trucks in the Middle of the Street by Mark Lee will be loved by kids everywhere. I mean, what kid doesn’t love a good traffic jam? When an ice cream truck breaks down, the pile up begins. A young boy on a bicycle offers various solutions to solve the problem and when the jam clears, he gets his sweet reward.
Trucks, Trucks, Trucks by Peter Sís. I predict that after you read this wonderfully simple construction truck board book to your toddlers and preschoolers they will sit down and look at it by themselves for hours.
Machines Go To Work by William Low. It’s hard to believe the oil-painting-like illustrations are created digitally! Fold-out pages make this book extra special and I love the conceit of the text which asks kids to speculate what is happening in each illustration but surprises them with an unexpected answer when the fold-out page is revealed.
Machines at Work. Well that Byron has a book for everything, doesn’t he? Thankfully they are good for parents with tired tongues. The text is spare but the construction vehicle interest is high! This is another board book that your toddlers and preschoolers will want you to read again and again but will also enjoy reading by themselves from time to time to give your vocal chords a rest.
Dig in!
More book lists you will love:
Best Toddler Books, or Books I’ll Miss Reading
Kids’ Books About Poop (That’s Right)
Best Picture Books for Kids {to Give as Gifts}
JDaniel4's Mom says
April 30, 2012 at 6:15 pmWho Made This Cake is my son's favorite book. What an awesome list!
Raising a Happy Child says
April 30, 2012 at 9:49 pm10 different books about construction? That's dedication!
Melanie Hope Greenberg says
May 2, 2012 at 4:31 pmYou and your sons must be construction experts by now! Thanks for showing off GOOD MORNING, DIGGER (now a Scholastic Book Club edition)! xo mhg
Bethany says
May 7, 2012 at 12:11 pmBy the way, there is a new Machines Go to Work in the City that was just released or will be soon. I will be reviewing it (maybe next week). I love this list!
Hayley says
February 23, 2014 at 3:25 pmSuch a great list! We have Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site and Roadwork and they are two of my sons favorite books. We will have to get some more from this list!
Beth says
June 23, 2014 at 8:30 pmWhen you’re ready to move up another level, try The Construction Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta. It’s not an overly simple abc reader. Lots to learn and humor along the way. Both of my boys loved it!
Bridget Perrin Gardner says
November 4, 2014 at 4:17 pmI’ve learned more about trucks in the last 2 years reading to my 4 year old than I’ll ever care to know! Surprised that Digger, Dozer, Dumper by Hope Vestergaard isn’t on this list..
Erica MomandKiddo says
November 4, 2014 at 4:25 pmDon’t be surprised! Digger, Dozer, Dumper is a great book, but it was published more than a year after I made this book list. 🙂
elizabeth keith says
April 12, 2015 at 1:08 pmMike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel always. read it to my boys in the early 90’s having inherited a bunch of boy books from the 60’s and 70’s.
ohm oh, “The King, the Mouse and the Cheese” oh lord, what a great book from the 60’s
Erica MomandKiddo says
April 13, 2015 at 5:01 amGreat books!
Tyler Jones says
July 24, 2015 at 10:47 pmDigger Dog is a great digging/construction book. It is a joy to read to little ones, I would go as far as 2nd grade with it. It could be used to start a perspective discussion or an artifact/science unit.
Erica MomandKiddo says
July 25, 2015 at 3:16 pmThanks for the recommendation!
Lyla Morris says
September 14, 2018 at 2:21 amAmazing list of books I would love to share with my son and he is going to love all books.