Tractor Mac New Friend
(Tractor Mac)

PreS-Gr 2--Although America has been transformed into a nation of city and suburban dwellers, children are still captivated by the idea of the small family farm. In Steers's popular series, readers can journey to a bucolic family farm, complete with a trusty tractor and talkative animal friends, and experience life without electronics, surrounded by bountiful nature. In New Friend, a small, new tractor named Daisy has arrived at the farm. She has been brought in by Farmer Bill to clear and plant the unused fields on Stony Meadow Farm--an area declared by Tractor Mac and his animal friends to be too small, too creepy, and too overgrown to work. As goat Walter succinctly tells Daisy, "Those weeds and vines will eat a small tractor like you!" Luckily for Daisy, she receives help clearing the field as well as advice from Tractor Mac: "Set small goals to reach your big goal." Like all of the "Tractor Mac" books, the story focuses on the importance of teamwork and friendship, and the message is clearly presented. The detailed illustrations reflect the artist's love of country life and antique machinery. VERDICT A cheerful addition to transportation collections.--Sally James, South Hillsborough Elementary School, Hillsborough, CA