Builders & Breakers

A construction worker father with an upturned nose accidentally leaves his lunch box at home. His two children race after him to the build site, where workers in orange vests and hard hats use heavy tools and maneuver big rigs. Light describes their work using simple wordplay and onomatopoeia: “Builders hammer bang bang bang” and “breakers jackhammer rat-a-tat-tat-tat.” In a striking vertical spread, diggers work deep underground, the skeletons of dinosaurs entombed around them; in another, a crane hoists materials to a cathedral-like tower. Light’s approachable art features friendly figures and loose, scribbly lines along with precise pen-and-ink detailing. At last, the children capture their busy dad’s attention—which leads to “break time” on a construction beam. Those who have only seen a construction site from afar will welcome the insider’s view. Ages 3–7. (Oct.)