Release date: November 8, 2011 | Age Range: 4 - 7 years
Atta-RATTA-batta-blam!
Jackhammer Sam isn't just any old construction worker—he's the sidewalk blasting man. He stops traffic, splits the sidewalk, and digs right down to the subway, all the while singing his song: Atta-RATTA-binga-bong. Atta-RATTA-pinga-pong.
Lively illustrations by David Catrow portray a larger-than-life construction worker (and the bystanders who become caught up in his destruction) in hilarious detail as he choppa-chops his way through the city streets, outer space, and beyond in this fun and frenetic tribute to road workers of all kinds.
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"Like New York itself, Sam is wonderful and overwhelming, rattling and mesmerizing." --Publishers Weekly
"Jackhammer Sam...lives in New York City, but any sidewalk will do for a child's imagination. 'ATTA-RATTA-TATTA-BAM / D'ya know who I am?' If a new Walt Whitman broke up sidewalks with a jackhammer, this is exactly what his 'Song of Myself' would be." --The Chicago Tribune
“Bouncy rhyming text, kinetic and colorful art, and a lively construction worker make for a peppy read with a tall-tale flair.” --Booklist
“With its ceaseless rhythm, the story begs to be read aloud, making this a useful book for community helpers, city, and noise themes.” --School Library Journal
“Construction equipment is always a popular topic for the preschool set, so a book about a jackhammer is sure to be a hit with this crowd.” --Horn Book
“An endearing ode to an oft–grumbled-about profession.” --Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Peter Mandel grew up in Manhattan, where he watched neighborhood skyscrapers going up and checked out every jackhammer on the block. He now writes about jackhammers and a host of other things for children. He lives in Providence, Rhode Island.
Growing up in Detroit, Michigan, David Catrow got pretty good at sneaking into construction sites and as a result, his initials and handprints appear on several blocks of Detroit sidewalk. Since then, he has illustrated more than seventy books for children, including his own Max Spaniel series. He lives in Springfield, Ohio.
Peter Mandel (http://www.author-illustr-source.com/petermandel.html) is an adventure travel journalist and the author of ten children's books. Mandel's books have come out from Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Penguin, Scholastic, Henry Holt, and Hyperion, among others, and have been featured in USA Today, and on ABC's "The Home Show." His titles have been part of exhibits at the Museum of Natural History in New York, at the Smithsonian, and at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and have been translated into Japanese, Chinese, German, Italian, Dutch, Swedish and Danish. Mandel's work is syndicated through Featurewell.com. He lives in Rhode Island with his wife, Kathy, and cats, Sam and Betty. Mandel grew up in Manhattan and graduated from Middlebury College and Brown University.
Mandel's newest picture books for kids include ZOO AH-CHOOOO from Holiday House, illustrated by Elwood Smith, and JACKHAMMER SAM from Macmillan/Roaring Brook, illustrated by David Catrow. "If a new Walt Whitman broke up sidewalks with a jackhammer," said The Chicago Tribune, "this is exactly what his 'Song of Myself' would be." "Like New York City itself," said Publishers Weekly, "Sam is wonderful and overwhelming, rattling and mesmerizing." BUN, ONION, BURGER was published by Simon & Schuster in 2010 and named a Summer 2010 Children's INDIE NEXT PICK by the American Booksellers Association.
His other recent kids' books include PLANES AT THE AIRPORT and BOATS ON THE RIVER, both from Scholastic. The Boston Globe calls them "a great way to introduce the idea of travel in simple terms." The Dallas Morning News lauds the books for "informing and calming very young travelers" and School Library Journal says that "spare phrases combined with bold graphic illustrations will entice busy toddlers" and that "a singsong text suitable for reading aloud makes these titles entertaining choices." Other positive reviews of PLANES AT THE AIRPORT and BOATS ON THE RIVER have appeared in Publishers Weekly and Booklist.
Another picture book, SAY HEY! A SONG OF WILLIE MAYS, came out from Hyperion Books for Children in March of 2001 and was named a Boston Globe "Quick Pick" for children, a Child magazine recommended title, a San Francisco Examiner "Bay City Best" and a featured book in USA Today's Sports Weekly. SAY HEY! is one of six titles selected for the newly published JUMP AT THE SUN TREASURY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN PICTURE BOOKS and is featured in the "Baseball as America" exhibit curated by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and currently at the Museum of Natural History in New York.
His chapter book for children is MY OCEAN LINER: ACROSS THE NORTH ATLANTIC ON THE GREAT SHIP NORMANDIE from Stemmer House, which Publishers Weekly called "a voyage in grand style" and which was featured on a special family sailing on Cunard's QE2. RED CAT, WHITE CAT, another children's book, came out in 1995 from Henry Holt & Co. and was an American Bookseller "Pick of the Lists," a Kirkus Reviews "Best of the Issue," and a Working Mother magazine recommended book. In 1991, HarperCollins published his humorous book, THE OFFICIAL CAT I.Q. TEST. His more recent books include THE CAT DICTIONARY (Penguin) and THE OFFICIAL DOG I.Q. TEST (Bonus Books).
A contributing author of the best-selling collection, CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE CAT & DOG LOVER'S SOUL, Mandel has published his articles and essays in Harper's, Reader's Digest, The Los Angeles Times, The International Herald Tribune, Budget Travel and The Chicago Tribune, and is a regular contributor to the travel sections of The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and National Geographic 'Kids.' One of his Boston Globe articles won the 2005 Lowell Thomas gold award from the Society of American Travel Writers for adventure travel article of the year. Other articles, for The Washington Post and the Baltimore Sun, won Lowell Thomas Awards in 2003, 2006 and 2007. One of his essays is included in the new anthology of travel humor published by Travelers' Tales: "What Color is Your Jockstrap? Funny Men and Women Write from the Road."
Mandel has written about destinations abroad such as Bangkok, Florence, Glasgow, northern Hudson Bay, the African desert, Antarctica, and the southern tip of Chile and Argentina. He also writes about unusual adventures including kayaking in New York harbor, watching polar bears and penguins in the wild, trekking in the tropical jungle, hiking a suburban strip mall, suiting up as a theme park character, and seeing America by metered cab. He likes baseball, ocean liners, Chinese food, and checking out just about any place he hasn't been.
My grandchildren are 4 and 7, and from the first pages that introduce Jackhammer Sam to the final page and personal bow, Jackhammer Sam had them mesmerized by his antics and rhythmic words. It's helped to animate another scene in their daily lives, and provide dozens of characters on each page to examine and question. Thanks to Mr. Mandel and Catrow for a strong story and beautiful illustrations.
Being a New Yorker, Aidan grew up seeing and hearing jackhammers just from his daily life in the city. Now Peter's super imaginative book, Jackhammer Sam, made his bedtime story so fun and colorful. We received it along with Peter's Zoo Ah-Choooo from Amazon's delivery yesterday and Aidan loves this not-a-run-of-a-mill construction site book. It is the essence of his little boy life to be into trains, trucks, planes, cars, and all things that move. But he always love passing by the contruction site and observed all the happenings. Now he can re-live all the fun with "Jackhammer Sam" - thanks, Peter.
