First published 1988
The old wooden bridge finally gives way, and suddenly everything changes for one young boy. From his front yard, he has a perfect view of the brook where crews arrive with their heavy machinery. Bulldozers rumble into position. Cement trucks lumber back and forth. Workers in hard hats survey the site and begin their careful work. Day after day, the boy watches the construction unfold before him like a live performance. Each machine has its own job to do. The boy learns to recognize the different sounds they make and the patterns of their work. What started as the loss of something familiar becomes an education in how things get built. The boy discovers that watching something new take shape can be just as exciting as the old bridge was comforting.
Genres: fiction, 20th-century, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, slice-of-life
40 pages · Hardcover · Harpercollins Childrens Books