Old MacDonald Had a Truck: (Preschool Read Aloud Books, Books for Kids, Kids Construction Books)

"Old MacDonald Had a Truck" is all about putting a new twist on the beloved, playing with expectations to step things up a notch. If you or your kid likes music, construction, wordplay, animals, or gender equality, you simply must check it out.The book answers a perennial problem: how do you interest young kids in the written word? I’ve always loved the idea of library and bookstore storytimes. In my imagination, I sit in a comfy spot not too far from the front, the spellbound child on my lap melting into me. In reality, my toddlers always preferred to roam around the room, their perpetual search for choking hazards and social interaction set aside only for the songs.Some books like Chris Van Dusen’s "If I Built a Car" scratch the melodic itch through rhythm and rhyme (e.g., “Jack, from the backseat, said to his Dad, This car is OK. This car is not bad.”). Others include music in the narrative. "Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons" rocks. So does "Old MacDonald Had a Truck."This fabulous picture book had my kids rapt, alternately giggling and howling out lines like:Old MacDonald had a MOTOR GRADERE-I-E-I-HOEWith a SCRAPE RAKE hereand a RAKE SCRAPE therehere a SCRAPE, there a RAKEeverywhere a SCRAPE RAKE.In "Dinosaur Dig"-esque fashion, it’s unclear what Old MacDonald and his farm full of animals are up to with the pieces of machinery revealed in each verse. Then comes the big reveal: they’re building a monster truck racing course complete with grandstands and floodlights!The colorful, appealingly drawn background scenes provide loads of detail and silliness to engage discussion. There’s a pig in a hardhat looking mildly startled by a front loader run amok. A cow sits politely eating a sandwich. This stuff just kills with the under-8 set.The illustrations also subtly challenge gender norms, showing Old MacDonald’s similarly weathered female companion working as an auto mechanic throughout and driving the truck in the final pages as he rides in the passenger seat.Children receive exactly what they’re looking for from "Old MacDonald Had a Truck": enough familiarity to be comforting, but the novelty, complexity, and whimsy needed to enthrall. Take my 22-month-old’s advice and “read Old Don Tuk, read Old Don Tuk!”This review originally appeared at: [...]

...then this book is for them! We were introduced to this book at preschool and now regularly give it as a gift. It is a delight (and the daredevil driver, for what it is worth, is a woman)!

Trucks, construction vehicles, girl power and a catchy tune… these are just a few of the things that make this children’s book a stand out. This clever adaptation of the old folk song starts out with Old MacDonald and his wife driving onto the farm. The reader quickly discovers that in addition to farmyard animals, Old MacDonald also has a myriad of construction vehicles including excavators, cement mixers and bulldozers.My almost four year old does not enjoy singing Old MacDonald Had a Farm that much anymore, but he can’t get enough of this story. He makes me stop on almost every page to investigate the various construction vehicles and the farmyard antics. As a parent, I loved pointing out the E-I-E-I-O to reinforce letter recognition. Goetz also puts a fun spin on the original song by switching up that last “O” in the refrain with words that relate to the vehicles such as “slow”. Also worth mentioning is that Old MacDonald has a wife who is not only a talented mechanic, but also a monster truck driver! It’s impossible not to enjoy this gem of a story.This is a great book to be used in a farmyard or construction themed storytime, teaching onomatopoeia in the classroom or one on one with a child at home.

What a beautiful and funny toddler book. My 4 years old son loves both, trucks and Old McDonald, so it was really no brainer to get him this book!We highly recommend this seller as well. We have gotten several used books from them and they never disappoint.

My daughter loves this book, and it's fun for us to read to her, too. It is a creative take on "Old McDonald had a farm" where it goes through all of the different types of construction equipment that Old McDonald has, instead of farm animals. It's especially cool because Old McDonald's wife rebuilds a truck and then races it at the end, so it doesn't fit the usual annoying gender stereotypes you typically see in kids books about trucks and construction equipment.

My grandkids love this book.

Son loved the pictures story and e I e I o elements

This book was added to my 2 yo sons library book bundle one month and he absolutely loved it!! We bought him his own copy and have given it to several other 2 yo as gifts. The tune is fun and familiar and there is so much going on in the illustrations that there is always something new to talk about. It is also fun for the men in the family to read with all the car stuff.

Kids love it

The media could not be loaded.  Amazing book for 1 to 3 year old ... Hard cover

My 2 year old son loves construction vehicles and this one is such a hit. He could not stop reading it ever since we bought it. He always songs along when we read this book to him. Would recommend this for every toddler, it just is so much fun.

We love this book! (Family of boys)

Love this! Was making up a song much to the same effect for my little son, then came across this book! Perfect! Love the illustrations!