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Since having a little boy, I’ve become a self-procliamed expert on an unlikely subject: Truck books. My toddler son loves being read to, but pretty much only if it’s a topic he enjoys. His favorite reads involve anything that moves, whether it’s a plane, train, or automobile.
I’ve literally rented every book in the vehicle section of our library at this point, and repeated many of them. Let me tell you, some kid’s books are really dry to read. Of course I’ll read whatever my kids pick out because we all know reading is crucial for a child’s development. BUT, when I am able to choose, I gravitate toward ones that are actually fun to read aloud and tell a story.
Today I’m going to spare you the bore and skip right to the good stuff — this list highlights the top 10 truck books for toddlers out there.
These all would make fantastic presents for any truck-loving kid 🙂
Top 10 Truck Books for Toddlers
Sixteen boisterous, rhyming poems — each one highlighting the job and personality of a different vehicle, from a backhoe to an ambulance to a snowplow — invite young children to meet their favorite trucks face-to-face. Cheerful illustrations show each one in action, digging (or dozing, or dumping) away. Engaging visual details are sure to keep preschoolers poring over the pages as they consider the question, “Trucks as far as eyes can see. . . . Which truck would you like to be?”
Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site
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.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Meet Blue. A muddy country road is no match for this little pick up until he gets stuck while pushing a dump truck out of the muck. Luckily, Blue has made a pack of farm animal friends along his route, and they’re willing to do whatever it takes to get their pal back on the road.
Where Do Diggers Sleep At Night?
The bedtime rituals of these little diggers and dump trucks will be quite familiar to kids saying goodnight. Young readers will identify with little fire engines, tractors, and monster trucks as they ask for one more story while their mommy trucks tuck them in, and their daddy trucks sing a goodnight song.
Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks and Things That Go
Buckle-up for a fun-filled day of planes, trains, automobiles . . . and even a pickle truck! Featuring hundreds of clearly labeled vehicles, this is the perfect book for little vehicle fans. {Love the illustrations in this one!}
Truck, Digger, Boat, and Rocket work very hard through the day. But once night falls, it’s time to rest. Dreamy art and rhythmic text will drive Good Night, Truck into families’ hearts.
When a family sets out on a trip to Grandma’s, their journey proves to be more like a visit to a construction site. Sidewalks are being poured, streetlights repaired, roads resurfaced. The noise of jackhammers, whistles, and horns fills the air. Boys and girls alike will love seeing the big machines at work. {We use this one to practice counting and colors because the illustrations are so cute!}
D is for Dump Truck: A Construction Alphabet
D is for Dump Truck takes children on an A to Z exploration of a fun backyard construction site. With bouncy poems for each letter and a glossary in the back, this book brings the thrill of construction up close and personal. {Bonus points: Made in Michigan!}
Otis is a special tractor. He loves his farmer and he loves to work. And he loves the little calf in the next stall. In fact, the two become great friends: they play in the fields, leap hay bales, and play ring-around-the-rosy by Mud Pond. But when Otis is replaced with the big yellow tractor, he is cast away behind the barn unnoticed until the little calf gets stuck in Mud Pond. Then there is only one tractor who can come to the rescue. Little old Otis!
You can do a lot with the right machinery, and the boy in this happy book has everything from a snowplow and a loader to a cement mixer and a dump truck. Never mind that his heavy equipment are toys. His vivid imagination turns them into the real thing. The boy has much to do throughout the year, such as plowing roads and building sidewalks. But his work is a joy, because he does it to show his mother how much he loves her. This book introduces children to a wide range of machinery, while conveying a loving theme that makes it a perfect book for children and parents to read together.
Have more fun with summer reading with this list of reading and mealtime activities.
Happy reading!
Little Blue Truck – whether you think the Green Toad is a hero or a glory hound is up to you. Either way it’s true: a lot depends on the helping hand of a few good friends.
Glory hound – LOL. Never thought of it that way 😉 I mean, he does enjoy flexing his muscles!