Great Books for Two-Year-Olds: Trucks: Whizz! Zoom! Rumble!

My daughter turned two this weekend, and this momentous birthday inspired me to start a new series here on On the Lap. One of the most frequent requests I got as a children's librarian in public libraries was for books appropriate for toddlers. Children this age respond so well to simple stories, rhyming text, and interesting, but uncluttered pictures. However, books meeting that criteria aren't always easy to find on library or book store shelf. Too often, parents turn to books that are too long, too simple (baby board books), or too familiar (like the same "character" books over and over). In this series, I'll feature some books that particularly appeal to the not-a-baby but not-yet-a-preschooler set.

Trucks: Whizz! Zoom! Rumble! by Patricia Hubbell and illustrated by Megan Halsey is a great book to share with a two-year-old. First of all, the subject matter is perfect to appeal to these little guys (and girls - let's not let gender prevent us from sharing any book with a child!). The text is simple, rhyming, and includes some repetition. All different kinds of trucks are driving on the long, long road. The illustrations are more detailed than most two-year-olds will catch on to (each truck's driver matches the truck's purpose, and there's a lot of special, vintage-y details), but clear enough that a young child will be interested. Bonus for parents-the trucks "rest" at the end of their work, making this a good naptime/bedtime book!