by Ole Könnecke
What do you get if you mix together Richard Scarry, Sandra Boynton, and a whole bunch of trucks? It would have to be something like Ole Könnecke’s genius Diggers, Dozers, and Dumpers, one of my personal favorite truck books.
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What the Book is About
Each spread is a different mini-story about an animal character and a truck. Most of the stories are about construction trucks, but there are a few unusual trucks thrown in (first time I’ve ever seen a dredger in a children’s book!) The stories are all completely different, from a fairy tale about a tractor to a recipe for making pancakes in a cement mixer. There are also quick facts about each truck in smaller text.
Why I Like It
This book is honest-to-god funny. The first time I read it, I laughed out loud multiple times. The first time my husband read it, he laughed out loud multiple times. There’s just enough edge to be actually funny for adults, without being too much for little kids.
Check out this story, of an alligator clearing a pathway for her daily bike ride:
The stories all incorporate the trucks in realistic-ish ways, but they’re all a little slanted. This sets it apart from more standard truck books where the trucks are all in their “normal” environment. Instead of a construction site, we see a dump truck at the playground, or a crane moving a piano:
Final Verdict
My grade: A+
Diggers, Dozers, and Dumpers is best for older toddlers, who are up for a lot of reading on each page. That’s just fine though, because I think it’ll keep growing with them through preschool years as they start to get a little more of the humor.
➡️ Check out more of the all-time best toddler truck books.