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Construction Crew
Demolition
What's even more exciting to preschoolers than seeing big machines that build things? Watching
the massive ones that tear them down!
Crush the stone. Crush the stone.
Chip and grind and munch.
Make new concrete from the old.
Whirr! Churr! Crunch!
From the huge crane with a swinging ball (crack! ) to the toothy jaws that ram the walls (thwock! ), this rambunctious demolition, reverberating with sound words, is guaranteed to have small kids rapt. Bright spreads showcase the gargantuan machines in all their glory, and a pictorial glossary explains what each one can do.
the massive ones that tear them down!
Crush the stone. Crush the stone.
Chip and grind and munch.
Make new concrete from the old.
Whirr! Churr! Crunch!
From the huge crane with a swinging ball (crack! ) to the toothy jaws that ram the walls (thwock! ), this rambunctious demolition, reverberating with sound words, is guaranteed to have small kids rapt. Bright spreads showcase the gargantuan machines in all their glory, and a pictorial glossary explains what each one can do.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published February 14, 2012
21 people are currently reading
376 people want to read
About the author
Sally Sutton
55 books28 followersSally Sutton is an Auckland playwright and children’s writer. Her first picture book, "Crazy Kiwi Tops and Tails", was published by Penguin in 2006. "Roadworks" will be her third picture book. She lives in the bush-clad suburb of Birkenhead with her husband and children
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
December 22, 2012
From my 5 year old son Ben:
It was good! I would give it 10 stars! I liked reading about the construction site because I like construction. I liked how they painted the pictures.
From my 2 year old son Eli:
He kept repeating the sounds from each page (Rip! Roar!, etc) and laughing and he kept pointing at the trucks on each page. After we were done he had fun flipping through the pages on his own.
From me:
This was a really fun book about the demolition of an old building so a new playground can be built in its place. I read it aloud to my 5 year old (Ben) and my 2 year old. The author did a fantastic job of choosing words and sounds that really appeal to young readers. For example:
It was a lot of fun to read aloud and make the sounds.
The illustrations are bright and bold and are double-page spreads so the various vehicles really take center stage. My 2 year old loved that. This also makes it a great book to read with multiple children on your lap or to a group as everyone can see easily.
At first my 5 year old just liked that there was demolition going on. Then, when he saw the playground at the end he realized that there was an actual progression of events. We re-read it and he really understood - at least in a child's terms - the steps to demolish the building and clear the space for a new playground. It started a whole conversation about reusing materials and land.
Overall, we really enjoyed this one. My 5 year old and 2 year old both enjoyed it. It was detailed enough to entertain my older son while the noises and bright colors really caught my 2 year old's attention. Highly recommended - especially for boys.
It was good! I would give it 10 stars! I liked reading about the construction site because I like construction. I liked how they painted the pictures.
From my 2 year old son Eli:
He kept repeating the sounds from each page (Rip! Roar!, etc) and laughing and he kept pointing at the trucks on each page. After we were done he had fun flipping through the pages on his own.
From me:
This was a really fun book about the demolition of an old building so a new playground can be built in its place. I read it aloud to my 5 year old (Ben) and my 2 year old. The author did a fantastic job of choosing words and sounds that really appeal to young readers. For example:
"Work the jaws. Work the jaws.
Bite and tear and slash.
Dinosaurs had teeth like this!
Rip! Roar! Crash!
It was a lot of fun to read aloud and make the sounds.
The illustrations are bright and bold and are double-page spreads so the various vehicles really take center stage. My 2 year old loved that. This also makes it a great book to read with multiple children on your lap or to a group as everyone can see easily.
At first my 5 year old just liked that there was demolition going on. Then, when he saw the playground at the end he realized that there was an actual progression of events. We re-read it and he really understood - at least in a child's terms - the steps to demolish the building and clear the space for a new playground. It started a whole conversation about reusing materials and land.
Overall, we really enjoyed this one. My 5 year old and 2 year old both enjoyed it. It was detailed enough to entertain my older son while the noises and bright colors really caught my 2 year old's attention. Highly recommended - especially for boys.
April 3, 2012
This is the PERFECT "truck" book. The rhyming text describes what each machine does, rather than stating what it is or how it looks. There is great, non-repetitive onomatopoeia on every page, so this adult doesn't get bored reading it. Just as I was wishing it did actually say what each machine was somewhere on the page, I found the back matter that covers it all. This feature is great because it makes the book perfect for big machine aficionados who are tired of books that just name machines, but if you have tots (or parents) who are just learning their vocabulary, there is something for them too.
The endpapers are rocks & dirt! The illustrations are fantastic and have an interesting and refreshing focus on safety without beating you over the head. Each brightly colored page is full of motion, energy, and great demolition to exclaim over. There is a great page that compares an excavator to a dinosaur. The people operating the machines are not the focus, but they are a multicultural bunch and include women.
The endpapers are rocks & dirt! The illustrations are fantastic and have an interesting and refreshing focus on safety without beating you over the head. Each brightly colored page is full of motion, energy, and great demolition to exclaim over. There is a great page that compares an excavator to a dinosaur. The people operating the machines are not the focus, but they are a multicultural bunch and include women.
July 21, 2016
This is a bright board book, suitable for pre schoolers. We learn about how construction works and find out what is being built at the very end! The words create a rhyming pattern you can turn into a singalong. The illustrations are perhaps a bit old fashioned but still entirely lovely all the same.
June 10, 2024
Just like the vivid, crisp watercolors that accompany many of her books, Sutton’s poems about heavy machinery are deceptively simple. There’s a sophistication to her depiction of work sites that comes from highly specific observations, repetition of each page’s action phrase, and plenty of onomatopoeias (aka, opportunities for parents to improve their sound effects). Demolition in particular is fun since it’s not addressed in children's lit as often as other construction topics - yet this book still takes care to highlight how old materials and spaces are repurposed, too.
Tags: construction, vehicles, work, rhyming
Tags: construction, vehicles, work, rhyming
May 26, 2024
We love this series- they’re such well-structured procedural stories that help young readers to understand construction and work processes, with lots of action vocabulary, repetition, and onomatopoeia. Demolition is another favourite we are pleased to own!
Read
October 20, 2024Another perfect book for kids who love machines, and a great fit for read-aloud Storytime.
December 24, 2023
Full 5 stars because my 3 year old is obsessed! The Onomatopoeia in this book is extremely appealing to tinies and helps retain their attention longer. My 3YO son is obsessed with this book, because machines are his line interest. Even his sister enjoyed, she has more diverse interests and yet she didn't find this one boring. He pointed at every machine, every attachment and discussed it's uses and sounds in great detail. The full page illustrations, that are reasonably realistic, definitely hold their attention. Then he proceeded to improvise with things around the house and made his own demolition crew equipment. A wrecking ball with a spool of thread and a plastic bead. A dinosaur jaw rotary shear from a pair of salad tombs. An excavator from a spatula ( he asked for his beach shovel but it was out awo, so he did his best with the concave spatula, I assure you. 😂) We wanted to know if we could get a miniature wood chipper and a concrete mixer + crusher built into one for his home use. So, go figure! 🤷🏽♀️ Well, we are going to settle by buying him a yellow safety helmet and a florescent reflecting jacket, I suppose. 😬
October 26, 2016
The title is full of lies - we get less demolition than we get salvage and the building of a playground on the demolished building's lot.
Uninteresting text. Rhyme scheme heavily dependent on onomatopoeia.
Illustrations sort of blah. The trucks themselves are not bad, but backgrounds and people were not well detailed. It's a modern book, so ~50% of the construction workers were female. I couldn't help but think of all those little boys disappointed when their little girl playmates inexplicably fail to be enthusiastic about playing bulldozer vs. building for three consecutive hours.
Also, the boards salvaged from the building are shown being turned into mulch. I don't think this is something that happens.
DS#1 (age 5) wasn't nearly as interested as would be expected even though he, himself, chose the book. And really, if the subject interests him -- as this does -- he isn't a demanding audience. I suppose younger boys really into construction might like it, but it didn't do much for mine.
Me 1/5, DS#1 2.5/5, DD (age 3) 2/5
Uninteresting text. Rhyme scheme heavily dependent on onomatopoeia.
Illustrations sort of blah. The trucks themselves are not bad, but backgrounds and people were not well detailed. It's a modern book, so ~50% of the construction workers were female. I couldn't help but think of all those little boys disappointed when their little girl playmates inexplicably fail to be enthusiastic about playing bulldozer vs. building for three consecutive hours.
Also, the boards salvaged from the building are shown being turned into mulch. I don't think this is something that happens.
DS#1 (age 5) wasn't nearly as interested as would be expected even though he, himself, chose the book. And really, if the subject interests him -- as this does -- he isn't a demanding audience. I suppose younger boys really into construction might like it, but it didn't do much for mine.
Me 1/5, DS#1 2.5/5, DD (age 3) 2/5
July 3, 2016
It rhymes! It makes noises while you read! It builds something easily recognizable by your kid! What's not to love?
It does use "clang" more than once...
Maybe that's why my listener only gave it 4 stars (but I'm totally giving it 5 stars!)
It does use "clang" more than once...
Maybe that's why my listener only gave it 4 stars (but I'm totally giving it 5 stars!)
July 25, 2018
Roadwork, Construction, and Demolition are amazing books that will appeal to kids who love construction vehicles and watching, from start to finish, how workers use trucks and machines to transform a site or complete a project. Roadwork shows a new highway being dug, paved, wired, and painted. Construction is the story of a library being built. And in Demolition an old building is taken down so the land can be re-developed into a playground.
Sutton uses a driving, pulsing rhythm and rhyme scheme that communicates a lot of excitement. Each stanza ends with sound words that accurately convey, through onomatopoeia, the noise the machine makes. It’s extremely clear that author and illustrator have done a ton of research for each book, and children who read these will learn a lot about the nuts and bolts of construction.
Lovelock’s illustrations in all three books are wonderfully diverse, both racially and in representation of women. Sutton’s story choices (building a playground, a library, and doing roadwork) are highly relevant to children, and that personal connection about how this work builds something that kids use is what makes this trio of books so special. A brilliant, well-executed series for construction vehicle lovers.
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I review books for children from the perspective of a parent of kids with autism. The review above is part of a longer post on books for kids who really love trucks: https://www.lineupthebooks.com/20-boo...
Sutton uses a driving, pulsing rhythm and rhyme scheme that communicates a lot of excitement. Each stanza ends with sound words that accurately convey, through onomatopoeia, the noise the machine makes. It’s extremely clear that author and illustrator have done a ton of research for each book, and children who read these will learn a lot about the nuts and bolts of construction.
Lovelock’s illustrations in all three books are wonderfully diverse, both racially and in representation of women. Sutton’s story choices (building a playground, a library, and doing roadwork) are highly relevant to children, and that personal connection about how this work builds something that kids use is what makes this trio of books so special. A brilliant, well-executed series for construction vehicle lovers.
---
I review books for children from the perspective of a parent of kids with autism. The review above is part of a longer post on books for kids who really love trucks: https://www.lineupthebooks.com/20-boo...
August 1, 2025
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Búracie práce Trenčín, Žilina, Púchov – Rýchlo, bezpečne a spoľahlivo s JP Búracie práce JP Búracie práce poskytuje profesionálne búracie práce a demolácie už viac ako 7 rokov. Zameriavame sa na búracie práce, demolácie objektov, odvoz sutiny a jadrové vŕtanie v lokalitách Trenčín, Žilina, Púchov a ich okolí. Búracie práce
Máme skúsenosti s búraním domov, bytov, firiem a priemyselných objektov, zabezpečujeme tiež jadrové vŕtanie, rezanie panelov, odvoz a ekologickú likvidáciu stavebného odpadu. Naši pracovníci sú vyškolení, odborne zdatní a dôslední. Pracujeme podľa platných bezpečnostných štandardov a s modernou technikou. Potrebujete rýchle a spoľahlivé búracie práce v Trenčíne, Žiline alebo Púchove? Vyberte si JP Búracie práce – garantujeme férové ceny, kvalitný výsledok aj individuálny prístup ku každému zákazníkovi. V prípade potreby vieme zákazníkovi zabezpečiť aj vybavenie búracieho povolenia alebo vypracovanie statického posudku.
Buracie Prace
Búracie práce
Búracie práce Trenčín, Žilina, Púchov – Rýchlo, bezpečne a spoľahlivo s JP Búracie práce JP Búracie práce poskytuje profesionálne búracie práce a demolácie už viac ako 7 rokov. Zameriavame sa na búracie práce, demolácie objektov, odvoz sutiny a jadrové vŕtanie v lokalitách Trenčín, Žilina, Púchov a ich okolí. Búracie práce
Máme skúsenosti s búraním domov, bytov, firiem a priemyselných objektov, zabezpečujeme tiež jadrové vŕtanie, rezanie panelov, odvoz a ekologickú likvidáciu stavebného odpadu. Naši pracovníci sú vyškolení, odborne zdatní a dôslední. Pracujeme podľa platných bezpečnostných štandardov a s modernou technikou. Potrebujete rýchle a spoľahlivé búracie práce v Trenčíne, Žiline alebo Púchove? Vyberte si JP Búracie práce – garantujeme férové ceny, kvalitný výsledok aj individuálny prístup ku každému zákazníkovi. V prípade potreby vieme zákazníkovi zabezpečiť aj vybavenie búracieho povolenia alebo vypracovanie statického posudku.
March 21, 2019
Not only is this a great fun read but its also very educational. Sally Sutton tells a great interactive story about the machines and workers who do demolition around towns. Throwing onomatopoeia in throughout the book when talking about certain tools this Sutton helps educate the children. it also even has a picture glossary of certain machines and their uses. This is a great story if your child is into cars, trucks, and big machines like i was as a child.
June 1, 2020
I appreciate how the book goes into how the different materials (wood, concrete, metal) are sorted and reused. This book is more about the process of demolition than the big machines themselves. Illustrations are detailed enough that it's suitable for slightly older children (5-7) although I would definitely say it's geared toward a younger audience, due to the sounds represented on each page (such as snap, crash, bong).
August 3, 2017
While the content of this book and Roadwork may not be my preferred topic, for young readers who enjoy Construction, both Roadwork and Demolition provide bright easily viewed illustrations along with text that has a rhythm to it and lots of fun noises to make. They were enjoyed both by the pre-schoolers I did a read aloud with, as well as my five year old son.
February 18, 2018
Received this as part of a set of three books and my 1-year-old loves having all of them read to him. It's great that the rhyming noises change between books so by the time we're on the fourth re-read of the same book, switching between them actually feels like a break - points to the author for the parental sanity saver!
December 1, 2018
I selected this as a read aloud for three and four year olds this week. I was amazed when my students, many of whom speak very limited English, knew the names of the bulldozer, excavator, and crane! They enjoyed all the construction vehicles in the story. The rhyming text was also great for a read aloud.
October 5, 2021
I liked watching something from old and being demolished to new and being used. My biggest hang up is the three sound words per page (ie screech! scrunch! Rip!) aren't natural to read out loud. I suppose if I really think about the sounds of what is happening it would work better but I've read it 2-3 times now and stumble each time on those 3 sound words per page.
October 16, 2021
My 2.5 year old is obsessed with construction vehicles and we bought this as a present for him. He was absolutely captivated by the different vehicles and their accessories. I love children's books that educate and aren't just cute, and this introduced a few construction vehicle parts we haven't come across before.
August 16, 2017
This chunky board book is always a favourite in our library: vibrant illustrations of demolition vehicles in all their mechanical marvelousness! Lots of great sound words as the machines go about their business make this a fun one to read aloud too.
August 29, 2017
Jasper (3yo) LOVED this book - probably because of all the sound effects that went along with the scenes of destruction caused by massive construction equipment. Honestly, what's there not to like?
Illustrations were good.
Illustrations were good.
October 9, 2017
Fun book for learning about how they tear buildings down and make new ones. The back of the book also has the trucks that were working in the book and it has a small paragraph of information next to it. Great way to see how something old was used to make something new.
November 7, 2017
My 17 months old is obsessed with this book, we often have to read it several times in a row. The language is great to read out loud and I personally like that there are female workers represented.
I also like that they turn the waste from demolition into other things.
I also like that they turn the waste from demolition into other things.
November 10, 2017
Five star for a two year old. We read it 3x in a row when we got it home from the library. Wonderful sound words, rhyming, big machines, and interesting seeing the process of destruction/recycling/building of a park where a high rise once stood.
February 25, 2019
(INFORMATIONAL)
Loved the rhythm of the words. Great images. Cool image glossary at end of all the different machines involved in demolition and their name. Could talk about onomatopoeia with the words describing the noise of demolition.
Loved the rhythm of the words. Great images. Cool image glossary at end of all the different machines involved in demolition and their name. Could talk about onomatopoeia with the words describing the noise of demolition.
August 11, 2020
This has been a favourite with both my boys - along with the others in the series. Love the onomatopoeia and it really encourages them to join in. Illustrations are excellent and great rhythmic, rhyming text.
December 28, 2020
The sing songy style of this picture book works perfectly as a read a loud. Especially if the reader is willing to make loud noises while saying "Cinkk! Clank! Clang! All the classic construction vehicles in action. A must read for the construction obsessed set.
July 19, 2017
Another great Sutton book that my construction-loving boy wanted to read again and again
August 4, 2017
The kids really enjoyed this series of books during storytime.
November 13, 2017
Almost more salvage than demolition, but still lots of fun onomatopoeia and great descriptions of what the different machines do without stating it outright.
December 8, 2017
A quick paced construction book about taking something apart and building something new. love the sounds. toddler and up
Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews