Young gearheads will go gaga for this emerging reader series. The giant semis in Big Rigs are accompanied by a surprising amount of information packed into the tidy 16 pages, including a description of what the plate called the fifth wheel is for. Each spread includes two sentences with sight words and decodables, plus occasional fun fact sentences included in circular callouts. The spreads are highly visual, with the photos labeled to help readers identify the parts of each machine. Each book concludes with a “Make a Noise” section, which encourages readers to head to a YouTube link to listen to the sounds of the vehicle. This could be problematic in school and public library settings where filters on computers limit access to the video site. For readers working on comprehension, this series will be a welcome sight on library shelves. VERDICT A recommended addition for all libraries.

School Library Journal

With crisp photos, colorful lettering, and a clean design, these new additions to the Starting Out: Vehicles series (12 new titles) can’t help but catch the eye. Each volume opens with an image of its featured machine set against a white backdrop and with its key parts labeled. Four double-page spreads then follow the vehicle on the job (or just zooming around), implementing short but descriptive sentences in tandem with full-page and spot photos. Readers visit different construction sites in Cranes, in which loads are lifted, moved, and steadied by cranes on the land and water, as well as from the air. The main text section is always followed by a “Make a Noise” spread, where the vehicle’s sounds (rrrumm! rrrumm!) arc across the pages in a large, colorful font. Each volume has a link to a YouTube video that plays a recording of corresponding engine noises, sirens, etc. and an invitation to the reader to try mimicking the sounds. A short glossary, “Reading Corner” list, and index comprise the back matter.