Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site
Author: Sherri Duskey Rinker Illustrator: Tom Lichtenheld
Publisher: Chronicle Books © 2013
Genre: Children’s Books
Subgenre: Construction, Family Life
Reviewer: Sara
Review:
The end of the day at the construction site means rest and bedtime for all the machinery working there. Each type of equipment finishes the last of its job and begins a bedtime routine before settling in for a good night’s rest.
Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site brings the reader (and listeners) right onto the jobsite, introducing each type of machinery and its typical work. They go from active and hardworking to ready for bed, demonstrating how the equipment is stored when not in use. There are nightlights and blankets, those that snuggle and others that snore. At the end, the construction site is seen from afar, the equipment silent and “sleeping” in preparation for another busy day.
The story has characterized the equipment, bringing them to life through the story and illustrations. The rhyme is consistent, but cadence is not as well maintained as in the author/illustrator’s other book, Steam Train, Dream Train. There are yawns and sighs added in that, while cute, disrupt the flow of the read. Unlike Steam Train, Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site introduces each piece of equipment when it’s busy and working, then winding down and readying for bed. There is no overarching pattern of everyone slowing down together, which makes the book feel more disjointed (in comparison). We are a construction-loving house, parents and kids alike.
It’s a good book for the busy mom (and her kids), teaching proper equipment names and their uses, and reviewing different bedtime routines of the funny, cartoon-character construction trucks. Overall, the story is cute and a good bedtime read. It’s definitely a favorite in our house and a must have for anyone curious about machinery or who wants to know: How does an excavator get to sleep at night?
Happy reading and happy trails!
Cover art © Tom Lichtenheld; Chronicle Books
The Mom Who Runs: 
Love, love, love this book. I’ve never been bothered by the extra sounds. I’ll have to evaluate at our next reading.
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Thanks for reading & your comments. 🙂 It is a great book. We happened to get it after Steam Train, Dream Train, which has a beautiful flow. This is another great book by the author and illustrator, but not my favorite of theirs. I hope you continue to enjoy it!
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This is a favorite in our house too but I agree that the yawning and other extra sounds do disrupt the flow of the story’s rhythym. On the other hand whenever I do a big yawn my little one tends to yawn as well so maybe there is something to it!
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Thanks for reading and your comment, Amelia! We also always yawn when reading this book…and the Sleep Book by Dr. Seuss. They make for good bed time reads in that way. 🙂 What’s Casey’s current favorite?
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