Busy Builders, Busy Week by Jean Reidy, illustrated by Leo Timmers

Jean Reidy, author of Too Purpley! and Too Princessy! (both very popular at my library) has teamed up again with Leo Timmers to bring back a group of animals collaborating to create something fun.

The work begins on Sunday with plans and friends gathering together, then continues throughout the week with a task allotted to each day. Bulldozers, cranes, tow trucks, and lots of mysterious equipment and items are moved about until it's time for the final landscaping and the big reveal; a playground!

Reidy's bouncy rhymes are an excellent match with Timmers' cheerful cartoons. A mouse in a skirt directs the construction while a grinning elephant, gorilla, giraffe, and crocodile do the heavy lifting. There are lots of fun details with participating worms, carefully stacked materials on trucks, and more.

Verdict: This is a fun choice for little fans of construction stories and animals, but it's also a great illustration of how processes work, as well as time. It would be an excellent choice to match up with building something or planning different events for days of the week. A must-have for libraries interested in getting your youngest patrons involved in making things and STEM.

ISBN: 9781619635562; Published 2016 by Bloomsbury; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library