So, I’m a mom of two boys. And as much as they’ll read good quality picture books with interesting stories, at the end of the day, they adore books about trains, fire trucks, boats, planes, rockets and the like. I know more about the different parts of a train or the different planets in the solar system than I’ve ever known. And, I’ll even admit it, I’m kind of into it. (Much better than having to read another Star Wars or Superman book.)
Flashing Fire Engines
One of my favorites for this genre are the books in the Amazing Machines series by Tony Mitton and Ant Parker. The rhymes are good, there aren’t too many words on the page, and the illustrations are vivid and engaging. Best of all, I can read them over and over again without wanting to pull out my hair, which is important for books like these. I also really like how they introduce hard words: at the end of Flashing Fire Engines (read last night, twice), they write:
At last the fire’s extinguished.
The flames are all put out.
Lower the ladder. Roll the hose.
“Hurray!” the fire crew shouts.
Terrific Trains
See, it’s cute and has explained the term “extinguished” before I even had a chance to worry about what I would use instead. All in all, they aren’t high literature but are a lot of fun to read, if you are into reading about machines that is.
Here are some of the individual books in the series:
You can also get a full miniature set.
Reading Kids Are Dreaming Kids 