Age 04-08. 4 Stars. The Busy Building Book book provides a look into the fascinating process of construction, and provides the names for tools, building materials, and other objects within a context where they are actually used. The only thing I would change would be to make the illustrations more realistic and detailed, but for younger children it is a great choice.

Age 04-08. 4 Stars. Mike Mulligan and Mary Anne, his steam shovel, have worked hard all their lives to open the way for people to build the roads, canals, and tunnels that the country’s transportation system depends upon. But as Mike Mulligan ages, technology changes — and the demand for steam shovels (and their operators) virtually disappears. One day Mike Mulligan decides to take on the challenge of digging a cellar for the new town hall of far-off Popperville…. The story is told with a pleasing rhythm, and while it can work at younger ages as a simple challenge story centering on whether Mike Mulligan and Mary Anne can actually dig the cellar in a day, a deeper theme is of homecoming: through diligence and hard work, Mike Mulligan and Mary Anne win a place in the community where they are useful, respected and appreciated.