Rumbly wheels, grumbly wheels, hauling-up-the-hill wheels. Wheels go fast, wheels go slow. Shout what's coming, if you know!
On the hells of Dig, Dump, Roll comes another interactive read-aloud from author Sally Sutton and illustrator Brian Lovelock.
This time round, a boy and his sister watch vehicles pass on a town street and have to guess what's coming, each time they see wheels. In the end, they get their very own set of wheels to take to the streets.
Vehicle-obsessed little readers will adore this book. With a firetruck, rubbish truck, motorbike and more, toddlers will appreciate all the wheels.
Sutton's rhyming text invites reader participation, and the repetitive structure makes it a natural read-aloud. Children of all ages won't be able to resist making their guess and yelling out exactly what vehicle they think will appear.
There's also plenty to capture the attention of older pre-schoolers and early primary school readers. The designers use bold text, different font styles and sizes, and there's plenty of punctuation to explore.
A diagram at the back of the book also adds to the fun, with the parts of a wheel explored. The labelled illustration provides details on all the different parts that combine to make a wheel. This makes it a fun book to add to an early childhood education centre - wheels and bikes can often become a deep interest for preschoolers and this book can be both fun to read as well as informative.
Lovelock's simple, bold illustrations work well. He provides interesting perspectives and his drawings convey speed and movement perfectly. While Sutton's text gives readers a clue, Lovelock ensures visual clues are in the picture too, combining to make a book that appeals to all kinds of learners.
A fun and simple ode to things-that-go, Wheels is the perfect book for little vehicle lovers.
Reviewer: Rebekah Lyell
Walker Books, RRP $27.99