Have Wheels, Will Travel:
Books for the Vehicle-Obsessed
by Janssen Bradshaw
A few years ago, my sister and I were driving together (without children) and she interrupted me mid-sentence to say, “Hey, look! There’s a . . .” and then paused and said, “I’m guessing you don’t actually care that there is a backhoe over there, do you?”
If you have vehicle-obsessed little ones, you’ve probably had similar moments, moments where you realize you can identify practically any construction truck or car on the road by its proper name.
These books are perfect for a child who loves nothing more than a fire truck, a bulldozer, or a cement mixer. Add in a plastic construction or fireman’s hat, and you’ve got the perfect gift.
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Elbow Grease
Available from:From beloved entertainer John Cena comes an adorable story about a little monster truck that enters the Demolition Derby in order to prove he's capable of big things.
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Digger, Dozer, Dumper
Available from:These sixteen poems each highlight a vehicle. Who knew poetry and big trucks went so well together?
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Twenty Big Trucks in the Middle of the Street
Available from:An ice cream truck is always welcome, until it breaks down in the middle of the road and causes a traffic jam. Thankfully, there’s one little boy with a clever idea for how to solve the problem.
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Little Excavator
Available from:You read that right — the author-illustrator of the beloved Llama Llama series has a new, kid-favorite character: Little Excavator! Not every construction job needs a giant Backhoe, and Little Excavator is here to get the job done.
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Vehicles
Available from:For the youngest of vehicle-obsessed children, check out this heavy-duty board book that introduces just about everything with an engine, inspired by the popular YouTube channel.
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Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks and Things That Go
Available from:For fans of Richard Scarry (which is to say, all of us), this vehicle compendium is a total delight. Featuring unconventional, Scarry-esque forms of transport like a pickle truck, it’s sure to turn the ignition of young imaginations.
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Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night?
Available from:Did you know construction-site families have the same bedtime rituals as your own family? Little ones will love the rhyming phrases and familiar rituals of mommy trucks tucking in their young fire engines, tractors, and monster trucks for a good night’s sleep.
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Thomas the Tank Engine: The Very First Stories
The first four stories of the timeless Thomas the Tank Engine series get the royal treatment in this hardcover, illustrated book of everyone’s favorite train and his cohort of sidekicks.
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All Kinds of Cars
Available from:In this whimsical collection of real and imaginary cars from Swedish illustrator Carl Johanson, kids won’t be able to resist pointing out their favorites. They might even be inspired to invent their own pretend vehicles!
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Editor’s Note: This piece was originally published in 2015 and updated in 2020.