Crane and Crane

PreS-K--This book draws comparisons between a construction crane and a sandhill crane. Both stretch, honk, and grab and stack materials as they work to build a new home--Crane for her babies, and the machine, a new home for a family. Side-by-side illustrations depict the animal and the machine demonstrating an action word printed in bold text (e.g., for "grab," the bird picks up sticks while the machine picks up logs). The juxtaposition is food for thought as readers progress through the book noticing similarities and differences. Both achieving a common goal is a nice wrap-up to the mirroring in the story. The illustrations are bold and warmly depict both nature and the industrial world. The end pages include a labeled diagram of both bird and machine. VERDICT A great book for teaching different meanings of words, useful for a read-aloud or a lapsit. Recommended as a general purchase for preschool collections.--Jasmine L. Precopio, Fox Chapel Area School District, Pittsburgh