I Am a Backhoe: Anna Grossnickle Hines

I met Anna Grossnickle Hines eleven years ago and was impressed by her creations. How lovely to have readertotz now to share her work with everyone!

I Am a Backhoe is a sturdy-paged toddler book for lovers off all things construction. On one page, a young boy plays out an action. On the following page, the construction equipment is illustrated along with his action.

I dig my hand
into the sand,
my scooper hand.

Dig. Dig. Dig.
Lift, turn, tip.
I am...

a backhoe.

Each featured action and truck is posed on a colored background to link the set. Daddy eventually joins the boy, and they conclude by reading the same text which began I Am a Backhoe. They both like trucks.

I was just ready to praise the loose strokes of saturated paint, when I discovered the art was created digitally! It is rich and flows freely. Truly a feast. Endpapers showcase the unique tools of the trucks, like the roller and hoe. This makes a nice foreshadow or conclusion to what was explored.

If you have a truck lover, or a tot with eyes drawn to construction, be sure to share I Am a Backhoe! Note, men and women operate the machinery. Thanks, Anna!

I Am a Backhoe
Anna Grossnickle Hines
Tricycle Press, 2010