Three Cheers for Kid McGear!

A peppy little skid steer called Kid McGear joins the Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site creators’ crew, but while their welcome is cordial, the five trucks underestimate Kid’s size and strength. Crane Truck says, “You don’t look quite strong enough/ to jump in here and do your share.../ maybe... just stay over there?” Kid doesn’t stew or pout—readers will get a strong sense that she knows her worth—and when Bulldozer and Excavator become trapped at the bottom of a steep hill, she’s first on the scene, engineering a solution and directing the collaborative rescue effort, all while making the most of her nimbleness and compact size. With Bulldozer and Excavator safely extracted, the construction crew now numbers six—“each one greater than they seem,/ because they’re working as a team.” The rescue effort can be difficult to follow, but fans of power drivers and grapple hooks will be delighted by this adventure, and readers of the previous books will find lots of reassuring familiarity, from the radiant orange and yellow palette to the trucks’ expressive faces. Ages 3–5. [em](Sept.) [/em]