Nonfiction Monday: Cranes by Aaron Frisch

Now THIS is a great easy construction series. Each book only features one machine, so it's going to cost you more, but it will DEFINITELY be worth it, especially in increased circulation.

This is a series called Seedlings from Creative Education. It's great to read aloud to young children or for beginning readers on their own.

The particular title I sampled was Cranes. Each page has, in large, clear type, a few simple sentences. "There is a bucket or hook on the end of the cable. It lets the crane pick things up." The final spread shows all the different parts of the crane, there is a glossary, and a brief index and list of further reading and websites.

What really made this an awesome series, which I will definitely be ordering, is the clear and organized layout. Each sentence fits perfectly with the accompanying photograph. When it talks about more detailed aspects of the crane, there are close-ups illustrating that exact thing. When it talks about cranes putting things on ships, there's a picture of a crane putting something on a ship. In other words, someone actually took the time to pick out decent stock photography and match it to the text, instead of just throwing in a bunch of random pictures. That's what makes this stand out and worth the extra money - instead of a random selection of stock photography and some bland sentences, the publisher has taken the time to actually create a book where the text and photos complement each other.

Verdict: You need this series. You can buy it in paperback, library bound, or order now and wait for the pre-bound edition, which, according to my vendor, should be out in April. You will also want Bulldozers, Diggers, and Dump Trucks. This imprint also has a bunch of animal books which I would guess would be equally popular. Yes, I am in love.

ISBN: 9781608183395; Published 2014 by Creative Education; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Added to my series order list.