The Ultimate Book of Vehicles - From Around the World

I learned so much while playing with this book! My knowledge of construction vehicles was always pretty lousy, right down there with my dinosaur know how. But there is so much motion in this book, due to the pop up action and cutaway illustrations, that I can at last get a real feel for what a crawler excavator is. So nice to see a dump truck that really dumps the garbage! A scissor lift that really lifts, and a combine harvester that opens to reveal what goes on inside a combine harvester. All forms of travel are covered, from trucks to trains to buses to boats to, and in the end, a rocket ship that blasts (almost) off the page. There is a nod to forms of traffic in other countries, like rick-shaws and French pooper scoopers (!) and Senegalese fishing boats, but really just a nod.

For the price, this would be a terrific gift for those kids obsessed with things that go. I don't recommend it for library purchase, except for in house use, because wonderful as this book is, it isn't very sturdy. There's a warning on it about choking hazard -- not for children under 3 years. It might be a good idea not to let the under 3 use it unsupervised. No one was supervising me and I bent two worker's heads a bit without even trying. But this will be a very well loved addition to any child's library. I particularly like the way the flaps open up to show the equipment inside the ambulance, the diesel motor inside the train engine, the RV's tidy little living quarters. So much detail!

This book is simply wonderful! My son who is almost two just adores trucks and this book is amazing for him. He just loves it so much that every page that turns he exclaims "Wow"! He is just enthralled by all that there is to discover in this book. My toddler does need supervision while he reads this book because his excited little hands could damage some of the little flaps and moving parts. There are so many little flaps and places to discover that every time we read this book we find a new little secret.

I was extremely impressed with ‘The Ultimate Book of Vehicles’.

Age recommended is 3 and over.
Believe strongly that an adult first understand what moves on each page and how it moves. In other words…to not have to search out the gizmo, so to say, and perhaps bend or move displays improperly.

Once that is done, sit down with your special child and do it together. In time, they will be able to do it on their own and the book should promise many enjoyable hours ahead.

This book is solid and hardbound.

All of the pages are well colored on sturdy stock and include flip ups, wheels to turn, doors to open, levers to move, things to slide etc.

Categories:
Demolition
Construction
City Maintenance
Agriculture
Road and Rail Travel
Commercial Transportation
Rescue
Fishing
Sea Travel
Air Travel
Space Travel

A true concept of all of these vehicles will be afforded the young child as well as precious bonding time with an adult sharing the moments.

This is a cool, interactive book on various transportations. Kids can read and, most importantly, move around the various cars, trucks, trains, and boats. There are all kinds of doors to open, or wheels to turn, and ladders to extend in this. It is captivating for my four-year-old.

The downside is that it is a bit delicate. My two-year-old quickly ripped some of the pieces. He wasn't being rude; he just didn't have the dexterity that this book requires. We put it away, and now we take it out while the little one sleeps.

The rocket at the end is one of the favorites in the book. Quite neat!

What a great book! This takes the typical lift the flap book to the next level with tons of slide and rotate features so that cranes actually "work". Other flaps open to reveal the inside of vehicles and everything is very well thought out. The favorite is the rocket launch! The design is better for older kids. My 3yr old was very careful for 3 but still a bit rough on this book as it is an intricate work of art. Overall amazing!

Kids' engaging collection car show; funny, and interactive encyclopedic book. Every possible, potentially moving, part is responding to the little fingers poking them to tickle and react. For the four years old it is magic, for the sixes it is fun, for the eights is inspiration, and parents joyfully content.

Here is what I just received from Marina, my daughter-in-law, "Hi Joe. We got the 'The Ultimate Book of Vehicles' book today. Oliver LOVES it. Thanks so much!" joyful for beloved grandson enthusiasm, I sent promptly my following reply:

"My eyes already touch Oliver's vehicles,
going ultimately of the road I have begun.
...it has its inner light, even from a distance--
and changes us, even if we do not reach it,.....,"-- Rainer Rilke [Q/Q]

We love looking through this as a family. My daughter loves all the moving parts. I love the ice cream truck and the rocket - and all the details. I love how the planes have an area for pets being shipped and when you flip one part of the book, the artist has so many details included that the back part that you flipped now becomes part of the drawing behind it. Totally cool!

This was an enjoyable, colorful, educational book that my children enjoyed. However, keep in mind that the flaps won't hold up well with younger ones, even if they aren't rough. Younger children will need to have someone big look at it with them. Which is kind of a shame, because I could see some little ones being content to flip through this book for quite a long time.

In my family, no birthday or holiday gift-stack is complete without a new book. This one fills the niche spectacularly for a child between three and nine. This is crammed with lift-the-flaps, scoot-the-figures, turn-the-wheels of a rich assortment of vehicles, whether one is harvesting grain, cruising the seas, or rocketing into space--not to mention traveling the open road. Since a certain amount of care must be exercised to not over-jerk the flaps, etc., the child should have enough dexterity to control his/her enthusiasm--hence the age three guideline. Definitely appropriate for either boys or girls, and the grownups who like to share books with children.

This book is wonderful but it definitely won't last for a long period of time. The many flaps, pull tabs, and pop-ups are fragile and young exuberant hands will most assuredly result is some tears and rips in short order unless adult supervision is present.

The book is very large and the pictures are vibrant. Each page is PACKED full of interesting vehicles and offers unique vocabulary of some not so common vehicles.

Despite the ease of bent tabs and crushed tabs through time - this is a very nice book. Yes, it might be well worn after several weeks of use but well worn = loved.

This big colorful book contains pictures of an international multiplicity of trucks, cars and machines. Better than that, the pull open pop up, turn the wheel, pull the string options allow little fingers to explore their workings. The cover is nice and sturdy but the moving parts inside are less so which is its greatest flaw. Adult supervision and reminders to "be gentle" will be necessary. This is a fun book invites conversation and story telling that parents can share with their children.

A ton of vehicles are depicted in this interactive book. Dozens of movable parts show how they work. Many have tabs that open to show the insides or other interesting features. Overall, this is a book that will keep a curious, inquisitive child entertained for a long time.

The only caveat is that the movable parts must be handled gently otherwise they can easily break off or get ruined. I would not give this to a child who is not able to handle books with care.

The kids will love this book, no doubt about that. However, it won't change the fact that this book is sexist. I find myself constantly telling to a 3 year old ,who enjoys the book a lot, that the pilot or the firefighter or the truck driver could be a woman too. In addition, the only misused vehicle in the entire book is the pakistani bus. Not everyone agrees, but I find that racist.

The book is clever, the lack of illustrations of women operating trucks, machinery and airplanes is inexcusable. The illustrations of the women in this book are flight attendants, a sunbathing woman on a yacht, and a little girl getting ice cream with her mother. The authors could have done better than that.