For children who are passionate about machines, especially the really big ones, Road Builders, cheerfully illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Simms Taback, is a wonderful find. Youngsters are introduced to the vast assortment of fascinating machines involved in building a road, and to the industrious crew of folks who operate these mammoth vehicles. Step by step, a road is born: dirt is scooped away by the power shovel, bulldozer, and backhoe, then the grader smoothes the ground as the other trucks arrive with cement and asphalt. Finally the power roller packs it all down, and the "striper" lays down the lines at the center of the road. But you"ll have to read the book to figure out what the cherry picker does! Boldly illustrated with bright, saturated colors, Road Builders is a visually dynamic introduction to the people and machines that bring new roads to life. (Ages 2 to 6) --Marianne Painter