As the sun sets behind the big construction site, all the hardworking trucks get ready to say goodnight. One by one, Crane Truck, Cement Mixer, Dump Truck, Bulldozer, and Excavator finish their work and lie down to rest—so they'll be ready for another day of rough and tough construction play! With irresistible artwork by best-selling illustrator Tom Lichtenheld and sweet, rhyming text, this book will have truck lovers of all ages begging for more.
Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Amazon.com Exclusive Essay: From the Slush Pile to #1: Realizing My Vision. Or Not.
First-time author Sherri Duskey Rinker's Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site steadily climbed up the New York Times' Bestseller list throughout 2011, reaching #1 on January 29th, 2012. Here she shares the early inspiration that inspired a career in design, and how another artist brought her vision to life.
First-time author Sherri Duskey Rinker's Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site steadily climbed up the New York Times' Bestseller list throughout 2011, reaching #1 on January 29th, 2012. Here she shares the early inspiration that inspired a career in design, and how another artist brought her vision to life.
I grew up loving picture books.
I can still hear my grandmother's voice over the sound of the pages turning, the old wind-up Westclox alarm clock ticking away and the sound of traffic rolling down Howard Street. I remember the smell of books mingling with the smell of freshly laundered sheets.
Virginia Lee Burton's The Little House was my favorite, and I obsessed over the whimsically sweet illustrations of that little pink house happily sitting upon a hill covered in daisies.
Inspired, I wanted to be an artist. I also wanted to be a poet, an art teacher, and a journalist. The ping-pong ball of art vs. words ended with a career as a graphic designer. It was a perfect fit: I took pictures and words and put them together in a pretty way.
I met an artist, a photographer. He also had grown up with Virginia Burton: Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel. It was a sign. So I married him. We had two boys and two good excuses for buying dozens (and dozens) of picture books.
Inspired by my youngest son's tireless (literally!) obsession with trucks, I wrote Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site in stolen moments during the workday and late at night, after the boys were tucked in. And with the words emerged a vision (dare I say "obsession") for how the book and my trucks would look.
I could see it so clearly: realistic illustrations of trucks superimposed with facial expressions to convey the mood and create the characters. Strong, yet simple graphic elements to create the setting. A bit of realism. A bit of collage. A bit of a grunge to compliment the dirty work of the trucks. I included the concept illustration with my manuscript and sent it, unsolicited, to Chronicle Books.When my editor contacted me, three months after I'd sent the manuscript, she was friendly, but also to-the-point: They loved the manuscript (!), and hated (though she used a nicer word) the illustration concept.
Hmm...
One of the reasons that Chronicle was the first (and ultimately only) publisher on my list was that I LOVE their picture books. I appreciate their beauty and high production values. So, I had a choice here: trust, or walk away. I chose trust--with a big dash of fear.
My editor asked if I had any ideas for illustrators. I sent her a dozen names and online portfolios. I'm pretty certain she ignored me. And, they chose Tom Lichtenheld. (Who?)
When I told my editor that I'd never heard of Tom, she quickly emailed a few examples. The first was from Tom's NYT best-selling book, Duck! Rabbit! I was stunned to see bold, simple shapes and thickly-outlined illustrations. I stared blankly at the screen, feeling my heart sink.
Could this guy even draw a truck?
I spent the next couple of months intently focused on the process of editing and developing the final manuscript. But it was always there, in the back of my mind: What would the book look like? What had I given up?
One evening I received an excited email from my editor with Tom's first pencil sketch attached.
I wrote back: "I’m scared. I'll pour a glass of wine and then look at it."
I held my breath and double-clicked. And there it was: classic, timeless and tender, with just a touch of whimsy. My crane truck, a distant, younger cousin to Mike Mulligan, perhaps? My heart melted. I was won over.
So there it was: nothing like I imagined. But it was better. I've come to learn that some of the best things in life--like marriage and motherhood--are like that.
And I could almost feel Mrs. Burton smiling down.
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Review
" A standout picture book, especially for those who like wheels with their dreams" - Booklist, starred review
"This book is a treasure." -Testy Yet Trying blog
"Rinker's rhythmic verse reinforces the vehicles' love of their work (Dump Truck "moves the dirt/ from place to place,/ Then dumps it with a happy face") and, like Lichtenheld's art, deftly balances the story's boisterous and drowsy elements. Truck lovers will happily nod off to the strains of this read-aloud." - Publishers Weekly
"Perfect for sleepers who are more fascinated by the motorized and muddy than by the soft and fluffy. A certain subset of parents and grandparents will see this book and shout, "At last!" - Chicago Tribune
"Lichtenheld's detailed and textured illustrations, rendered in wax oil pastels on vellum paper, perfectly complement the fun, rhyming text, cleverly personifying each truck with expressive eyes and amusing details. ...Recommended for vehicle- and bedtime-themed storytimes, this is sure to be a hit with truck-loving preschoolers." - School Library Journal, starred review
"If your little reader is mad for trucks, you must get this gem of a book!" -SweetOnBooks.com
"Gentle rhymes and soft-colored pictures of favorite trucks are the perfect way to lull any child into sweet dreams." - Bookmarkable blog,
"For all those youngsters who feel coziest with a cement mixer jammed into an armpit and a dump truck wedged at their feet, Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site might be the best bedtime book ever." - Hampton Roads
"An ideal bedtime book for all those truck-loving toddlers and preschoolers! ...If there's a truck fan in your family, this is a great pick... Drive it to the top of your pile of story time truck reads as well." - Waking Brain Cells blog
"A great read-aloud story as you are settling your child in for the night." -About.com
"A delightful debut." - The New York Times
"This book is a treasure." -Testy Yet Trying blog
"Rinker's rhythmic verse reinforces the vehicles' love of their work (Dump Truck "moves the dirt/ from place to place,/ Then dumps it with a happy face") and, like Lichtenheld's art, deftly balances the story's boisterous and drowsy elements. Truck lovers will happily nod off to the strains of this read-aloud." - Publishers Weekly
"Perfect for sleepers who are more fascinated by the motorized and muddy than by the soft and fluffy. A certain subset of parents and grandparents will see this book and shout, "At last!" - Chicago Tribune
"Lichtenheld's detailed and textured illustrations, rendered in wax oil pastels on vellum paper, perfectly complement the fun, rhyming text, cleverly personifying each truck with expressive eyes and amusing details. ...Recommended for vehicle- and bedtime-themed storytimes, this is sure to be a hit with truck-loving preschoolers." - School Library Journal, starred review
"If your little reader is mad for trucks, you must get this gem of a book!" -SweetOnBooks.com
"Gentle rhymes and soft-colored pictures of favorite trucks are the perfect way to lull any child into sweet dreams." - Bookmarkable blog,
"For all those youngsters who feel coziest with a cement mixer jammed into an armpit and a dump truck wedged at their feet, Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site might be the best bedtime book ever." - Hampton Roads
"An ideal bedtime book for all those truck-loving toddlers and preschoolers! ...If there's a truck fan in your family, this is a great pick... Drive it to the top of your pile of story time truck reads as well." - Waking Brain Cells blog
"A great read-aloud story as you are settling your child in for the night." -About.com
"A delightful debut." - The New York Times
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
65 of 66 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is just a wonderful bedtime story for any young fan of big machinery. The rhyming is spot on, creating a fantastic read aloud flow. We get to say goodnight to each machine as it dozes off, creating just the right atmosphere for bedtime. The illustrations have that classic old fashioned feel, done in muted colors with somewhat fuzzed edges. Each character has an expressive face that only adds to the charm of a story that is sure to be a much requested bed time read. A note to any librarian or story group leader interested in doing a bedtime theme story time: this is a sure winner! Just the perfect length for preschoolers. A sleepy recommend.
39 of 39 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The perfect goodnight book for any boy or girl who is fascinated by big machines!
May 11, 2011
By Chicago Mom
Format:Hardcover
This book is written in such a way that my little ones feel right at home with those hard working construction-site machines. Each night they take turns pretending they are one of the beautifully illustrated charactors, and in the daytime they point out all the machines they see as we drive to and from our places to be. This book makes them want to play along and snuggle up at bedtime, which of course puts them in the mood to sleep all snug and close, just like the machines at the construction site. Six thumbs up from our family!
Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site
Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site
51 of 55 people found the following review helpful
By D. H.
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
My 3-year old son loves this book and wants to read it every night. The graphics are excellent and the rhymes are good too. The author uses just the right number of new words for a 2-3 year old. Italics are used on some parts of the text to allow the reader to shorten or expand the story.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By Davis
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
My 2.5 year old is fascinated with all things construction related: excavators, backhoes, front end loads, bulldozers, etc. He wears a hard hat around the house, and when we're driving in the car and he spots a bulldozer he wants to stop the car and get out so he can check it out.
Needless to say, we've been buying more construction-themed items lately, and this book just popped up on Amazon the other day so I grabbed it. Great illustrations, fun story -- good pace for a 2-3 year old. Nice quality on the binding/pages, too.
Needless to say, we've been buying more construction-themed items lately, and this book just popped up on Amazon the other day so I grabbed it. Great illustrations, fun story -- good pace for a 2-3 year old. Nice quality on the binding/pages, too.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By Rachel Moore
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I bought this for my son who just turned two. He was excited by the construction vehicles and was "shooshing" and whispering along with the story on the first read through the book. The illustrations are perfect (my son could identify all of the objects) and the story is a great length for this age group (long enough to hold his interest but not so long that he wanted to turn the pages before I finished reading). I can tell this is going to quickly become one of his favorites and it's a book that I wont mind reading over and over.
57 of 80 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
We love this book in our house. Currently, it is the very favorite among my three year old daughter's bedtime books. It features a good amount of predictability in the text built in- which is nice for preschoolers who like to chime in "Shhh...Goodnight, Crane Truck, goodnight." etc etc. My daughter can pretty much recite the whole book, something she takes great delight in. The drawings are also charming, especially details that are not in the text - the crane truck holds a teddy bear, for example. I would gladly give this book 5 stars. Except.
Here's my only problem with this book: it's not just for boys. I feel pretty strongly about this- hence the use of multiple exclamation marks in the title of my review. I mentioned above I have a daughter. She's three. She loves construction vehicles, adores watching them work in real life, and likes to read about them too. No one ever told her that construction is just for boys. Nor do I believe that anyone *should* tell her this! And so my husband and I were both quite disappointed that every single one of the construction vehicles in this book - a crane truck, a dump truck, a cement mixer, an excavator, and a bulldozer - is gendered as male. There seems no logical reason for this, other than it is widely believed that only boys like construction stuff and that the audience for this book is therefore only boys and boys can only relate to boy characters. Seems to me there is a failure at all these steps - some girls (and some boys!) like construction trucks, the audience for this book is not limited therefore to boys, and moreover, boys can relate to girl characters just as easily as anyone else, if they are allowed and encouraged to do so.... Read more ›
Here's my only problem with this book: it's not just for boys. I feel pretty strongly about this- hence the use of multiple exclamation marks in the title of my review. I mentioned above I have a daughter. She's three. She loves construction vehicles, adores watching them work in real life, and likes to read about them too. No one ever told her that construction is just for boys. Nor do I believe that anyone *should* tell her this! And so my husband and I were both quite disappointed that every single one of the construction vehicles in this book - a crane truck, a dump truck, a cement mixer, an excavator, and a bulldozer - is gendered as male. There seems no logical reason for this, other than it is widely believed that only boys like construction stuff and that the audience for this book is therefore only boys and boys can only relate to boy characters. Seems to me there is a failure at all these steps - some girls (and some boys!) like construction trucks, the audience for this book is not limited therefore to boys, and moreover, boys can relate to girl characters just as easily as anyone else, if they are allowed and encouraged to do so.... Read more ›
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
One of life's mysteries--why is it that every toddler boy I know is crazy about construction machines? This book fits the bill perfectly--but (when you get tired of reading it for the 20th time) also check out WHAT CAN A CRANE PICK UP? by Rebecca Kai Dotlich with ADORABLE illustrations. For instance, the train isn't empty--it's full of animals including a Lyle the Crocodile lookalike--and the smiling face of the crane will make you feel happy (guaranteed). So terrific to have books like these to instill a love of rhyme in the youngest listeners!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By K. Rogers
Format:Hardcover
My 2 year old son just received this book for his birthday. He loves reading it every night. The flow of the rhyming is light and fun, painting sweet images of these tired machines. The drawings are precious too with a couple of machines curling up with their special things.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book
My four year old and one year old love this book! They like the rhyming and learning about all the different types of equipment on construction sites. The illustrations are great! Read more
Published 1 day ago by Photogirl
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must-have
This is an adorable book that any child who likes construction vehicles will enjoy over and over again! Mimi made her grandson VERY happy with this gift!
Published 3 days ago by Elaine Kropp
5.0 out of 5 stars
3 year olds favorite book
We love this book. I wish it came in board but hard cover is a step up from the paperback we have already wore out.
Published 4 days ago by Amanda Marolt
5.0 out of 5 stars
Goodnight
We love this book, how each piece of equipment is said 'Good night' to; and the concept that 'everything goes to sleep' Personally, I love and write rhyming books also; it creates... Read more
Published 4 days ago by ideabox
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very cute book, perfect for a little boy.
The illustrations in the book are excellent. The words are appropriate for the age. The story line is very cute. This combination makes a very good book for little boys!
Published 5 days ago by Shannon L. Drohn
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of our new favorite books
We have a lot of construction going on near our house with some new houses being built and redoing a road that we pass every day in the car. Read more
Published 5 days ago by N&C'sMOM
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE BEST BOOK FOR A TODDLER BOY - HANDS DOWN
I don't think there's a better book for a toddler boy whole likes diggers, cranes, excavators and bulldozers. At the age of 2.5 yr my DS has had so much fun reading this book. Read more
Published 6 days ago by Maryia Zhauniak
5.0 out of 5 stars
A favorite
My son (2.5 years old) adores this book. The soothing rhymes keep his attention, and the illustrations are delightful. We read this several times a week.
Published 6 days ago by S. Collins
5.0 out of 5 stars
calming
Great book to read before nap & bedtime. My 3 year old daughter loves it! I like the illustrations as well.
Published 6 days ago by homeowner10
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing!
I bought this for my 22 month old son. He loves this book. We have to read it 2 or three times in one sitting. His favorite part is " Hey pipe down"! Read more
Published 7 days ago by Lynne
