If You Build It … Awesome Construction Books for Little Builders
by Lindsay Barrett
Each of my five children has gone through a phase of being obsessed with construction or “fixing.” I’ve hosted multiple birthday parties where the primary setup involved a giant pile of dirt, toy dump trucks, and shovels. Our dress-up bin also has an impressive selection of hard hats and tool belts. It’s intriguing and inspiring for kids to consider how structures are created. (Plus, there are so many cool jobs, tools, and vehicles to admire.)
Stocking your shelves with entertaining and informative construction-themed books can help satisfy young builders’ interests and “build” their vocabulary and background knowledge. To help you choose, I’ve rounded up a list of construction books for kids with a variety of great options.
-
Good Night Building Site
Available from:Invite tiny building enthusiasts to spend a day at a construction site! As the sun rises, a diverse group of construction workers don their safety gear. Experts in various roles do their parts, from architects, welders, and framers to plumbers, equipment operators, and electricians. This is the perfect title to introduce construction job and task vocabulary that can become part of kids’ play scenarios — and spark dreams about what they might do when they grow up!
Also available from: -
Hello, World! Construction Site
Available from:Board books from the Hello World! series are top-notch informational books for toddlers because they can be enjoyed on multiple levels. For wiggly one-year-olds, read the fun noises and verbs — “Clank! Vroom! Boom!” “Push!” “Scoop!” — and notice the colorful construction vehicles in the illustrations. Older children will enjoy the full text and engaging facts to expand their knowledge about what happens on a building site and how construction equipment operates.
Also available from: -
Construction Site: A Push-and-Pull Adventure
Available from:There’s so much physical science involved in construction, and this book makes conversations about force and motion accessible to your tiny learners. Invite little hands to help you push, pull, and turn the features of this book to show how equipment moves on a building site. Besides being fun to read over and over, children will pick up language they can use when playing with toy construction vehicles.
Also available from: -
Richard Scarry's Busy Busy Construction Site
Available from:It’s the words every small construction lover has been waiting for: “Welcome to the busy, busy construction site! Put on your hard hat, and let’s take a look around.” This adorable book is excellent for children eager to learn construction vehicle names. (Also, a confession: As a child, I imagined that the Busytown team built my house with its perfectly snaked electrical wires — and maybe I still do.)
Also available from: -
Construction
Available from:With fun onomatopoeia on every page, readers witness the construction of a large structure. As more phases are completed, it becomes clear that it’s a new library meant to welcome everyone. I’ve had a special place in my heart for this title since my hometown library posted a giant image of it outside while their new building was under construction. The entire Construction Crew series is a favorite for kids and is worthy of any toddler’s bookshelf.
Also available from: -
On the Job (PAW Patrol: Rubble & Crew)
Available from:Many parents know PAW Patrol’s pups have a deep and loyal following among the toddler set. And now, Rubble and Crew are starring in spinoff content for kids who love construction. This title lets readers meet the whole team at Builder Cove and see how they work together. Exciting illustrations show the pups hard at work, and the simple text is perfect for reading aloud to toddlers or kids starting to read independently.
Also available from: -
Cats in Construction Hats
Available from:What’s cuter than colorful cats in colorful hats driving colorful construction equipment to build a house? This rhyming book makes for an enjoyable and interactive read-aloud. With plenty of feline antics and small details to notice in the illustrations, this book is appealing enough to enjoy on repeat.
Also available from: -
Bear Builds a House
Available from:It’s time for Bear to build a new house, and she has a thoughtful plan to make it happen. After all, “It’s better to plan now since she can’t just move her house later on.” She assesses and measures the location, creates plans and elevations, and assembles a capable team of workers. (Beavers are involved, obviously.) She even adds solar panels! Kids and adults who appreciate background information about a task will identify with Bear’s exceptionally detail-oriented style.
Also available from: -
Building a Home
Available from:Step by step, a construction team transforms a crumbling old factory into a beautiful new apartment building. This book does a lovely job highlighting the variety of expertise required for a big building project and the collaboration, communication, and hard work it takes to accomplish a job.
Also available from: -
Construction People
Available from:This collection of poems celebrates everyone from architects to elevator installers. It’s a unique ode to the myriad individual roles in a construction project and is an enjoyable introduction to poetry for kids. Read just one poem at a time, or the entire set, and marvel over the many different hands at work on a building site.
Also available from: -
Construction Site Preschool Activity Book
Available from:With over 80 activities, this book will keep little builders busy! They’ll learn new vocabulary and concepts related to construction, practice counting and identifying letters of the alphabet, and build fine motor skills. The sweet and colorful illustrations make every page feel like a fun treat.
Also available from:
Remember, block play is ideal for kids who are interested in construction. For more ideas about construction books for kids, check out our list Stack, Wreck, and Rebuild: Exciting Books to Get Kids Building. Plus, don’t miss our lists of books about vehicles, trains, and airplanes!