C Is for Construction

by Cynthia Clumeck Muchnick, Volha Kaliaha (illustrator)

2025 CHILDREN'S BOOK COUNCIL HOT OFF THE PRESS PICK

An alphabetic tour of the construction site for the youngest readers

A is for architect
B is for bulldozer
C is for construction site . . .

Put on your hard hat and vest and come on down to the construction site! This noisy, busy place is crowded with people, trucks, and tools working together to build something new. With J for jackhammer, L for ladder, and T for toolbelt, this colorful board book from Cynthia Muchnick and Volha Kaliaha has everything you need to know about life on a working site. Perfect for aspiring contractors and lovers of all things construction!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

21 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 1, 2025

About the author

Cynthia Clumeck Muchnick, MA, is a graduate of Stanford University and has been working in education for the past 25+ years as a former Assistant Director of College Admission, high school teacher, educational consultant, and author of five other education-related books. She speaks professionally to parent, student, teacher, and business groups on topics such as study skills, the adolescent journey, college admission, and now the parent compass movement.

Reviews

[Stella Marchione · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely little alphabet book lends itself to focus on construction. So cut and the kids will love it. Nice illustrations!

[Monika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learning the ABCs, One Construction Site at a Time

C Is for Construction by Cynthia Clumeck Muchnick is a cheerful and hands-on introduction to the alphabet for young learners, framed around the exciting world of construction. Each letter highlights a different part of a construction site — from “A is for Architect” to “Z is for Zone” — making letters memorable through real-world context. The text is simple and approachable, perfect for toddlers and preschoolers, while Volha Kaliaha’s illustrations bring machines, workers, and tools vividly to life. Children can explore while learning, connecting letters to images in a playful, interactive way.

The book’s charm lies in its combination of learning and exploration. The bold, colorful illustrations capture movement, machinery, and teamwork, making each page visually engaging. By presenting familiar and new construction-related objects, the book gently builds vocabulary and introduces kids to a field they might not encounter every day. The repetitive, rhythmic text encourages participation, making it ideal for read-aloud sessions.

Another strength of C Is for Construction is its durability and accessibility. As a board book, it withstands little hands flipping pages again and again, which is perfect for young readers who are just learning to engage with books. The approachable format ensures that children can explore at their own pace, pointing out machines, workers, and tools while associating them with the correct letters.

Overall, this ABC primer is perfect for ages 2–5, especially for children fascinated by building, machines, or how the world around them is made. It’s more than a simple alphabet book — it’s a playful invitation to discover and imagine, combining early literacy with curiosity about real-world work.

[Valerie Contreras · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a cute and short alphabet book that involves all things construction! Perfect for any kid learning to read. The illustrations are perfectly executed and very clear. I love this book!

I definitely recommend!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this e-ARC.

[Chandler · Rating 5 out of 5]

My toddlers will love this when I buy the physical copy on June 30th!

A great little alphabet book tailored around construction terminology and equipment. It’s apparent that the selected terms were well thought out. A few prompted curiosity from my son which lead to learning. I will never not be happy when a book encourages my kids to seek knowledge! The illustrations were super cute.

I will recommend to any young construction enthusiasts (and their parents)!

Thank you Familius, NetGalley, and Cynthia Clumeck Muchnik for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Shan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think that this book's uniqueness and specificity hindered its effectiveness. Sometimes it's really great when a book zooms in on a specific topic or thing, but this book was just a little too niche. Lots of little kids are interested in things related to construction, but this book went way into depth with that. Now, a handful of kids will appreciate this deep dive, but I believe that majority will not. For some examples, quarry and underground utilities are *way* too advanced for kids that are just starting to get familiar with the alphabet. This could potentially cause unnecessary confusion because kids won't know what these words mean, and they won't be paying attention to the letters of the alphabet. However, I will say that I enjoyed the detailed and crisp illustrations because they complimented the overall book really well.

[EmG ReadsDaily · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightfully engaging ABC primer for the construction site, featuring a clever selection of vehicles, tools, and terminology. The colourful illustrations and simple wording add to the brilliance of this book for the younger demographic.

My toddler particularly loved the H is for Hard Hat, J is for Jackhammer, Q is for Quarry and T is for Toolbelt. This book offers a fun way to engage in early letter sounds, through the theme of a construction site.

With thanks to Familius and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy, in exchange for an honest review.

This book would make a brilliant gift for young children who are curious about building or construction.

[Charley Goodyear · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute ABC book based on construction. This book uses a bit more advanced terms than other construction books for toddlers I've read, but overall I think they chose good words. (Except Y is for yellow, that's a little disappointing) I wish they dedicated each letter to its own page, to allow for bigger illustrations and avoiding confusing for smaller children. I do like that they illustrated both men and women working in construction.
Thank you to Netgalley and Familius for the review copy, all opinions are my own.

[Julie Childs · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect alphabet book for any construction loving toddler! I wish this had been around just a year ago and it would have been the perfect age/stage for my son. But he loved it and was able to do a lot of the letter recognition and truck recognition too. I think it is perfect for age 3 kiddos.But, like I said, my son at age 4 still loved it! Great pictures and good variety of construction trucks too!

[Holly DiBella-McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a former educator, I love how this ABC Primer makes learning letters both fun and meaningful. It is perfect for pre-k and kindergarten students to practice letter recognition, letter sounds, and build new vocabulary, all within the exciting world of construction. From “F is for Floor Plan” to “P is for Plumbing,” each page sparks curiosity and conversation. Engaging, creative, and brilliantly put together.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun ABC book. Almost all of the words are difficult for toddlers to say but for those kids who are already interested in construction and related topics it will still keep their attention. If they're not already interested then they might not make it through the whole book. The artwork is a really adorable style.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immediately put on my calendar to purchase when it's out. Each letter has a construction term—but not the boring ones that end up meaningless after the amount of repetition they get across books.

I highly highly recommend this book!

Thank you bunches to Cynthia Clumeck Muchnick, Familius and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for my honest review!

[Bailey Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

C Is For Construction: A Construction ABC Primer is a fun, vibrant, interesting, and informative board book! With beautiful illustrations and large text, this book teaches little ones about construction. It shows the tools, process, and construction creations. This is a simple yet engaging read for babies and children!

[Jennifer Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little book for the imagination. Tapping into ways to communicate about all kinds of ideas for the littles to explore. I love A is for Architect. My nieces immediately asked, “what is an architect?” It provided an opportunity to introduce new ideas that we would never had. What a sweet little book.

[Joelle Crannick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a perfect book for little readers to learn their ABCs while also learning about construction. I know many boys and girls who would enjoy this book. Especially paired with a few Blippi episodes.

[Danielle Mccoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this eBook from netGalley for a honest review.

I like this cute ABC book about all things construction. The pictures draw you in and the information will hold little car and truck lovers attention..

[Maggie Hesseling · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son loves all things trucks, trains, cars, heavy machinery. So, this was the perfect ABC for him. And though it didn't hold his attention for more than B is for Bulldozer and D is for Dump Truck, I know we will be returning to it.

Personally I absolutely love the illustrations.

[Damari Stratford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our grandson loves construction vehicles and grandpa is a plumber so he understands all things construction and loves this book. We loved the unique words picked to explain the alphabet , great job and informative. Thanks for writing this book.

[Anonymous · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect book for babies and toddlers through pre-schoolers! Great book to share with my grandchildren, both boys and girls! I worked in construction for many years and love introducing small children to the joys, sounds, sights, and vocabulary of a working construction site. Highly recommend!

[ReensReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple and cute book to learn about construction vocabulary

This is lovely book for littles ones to learn vocabulary related to construction. The illustrations are vibrant and eye-catching. A quick and short book for toddlers learning to read.

[Sarah Lower · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cutest lil alphabet book for all construction site and construction truck lovers! Familiar and new things to learn abound in this beautiful book! Check it out!

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for my boys

My boys love all things dirt and trucks so this was a great read. Not the usual construction words from other ABC books we have which we loved.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good basic board book with everything regarding construction from hard hats to ladder, nails, bulldozer and earplugs.