Awesome Engines: Big Digger ABC: An A to Z of things that go!
Awesome Engines Series
What’s inside...
This vibrant picture book, Awesome Engines: Big Digger ABC by Margaret Mayo, is an alphabetical adventure, featuring a parade of colorful construction vehicles and other transportation. Each page introduces a new letter and a corresponding vehicle, making it a fun and engaging way for children to learn the ABCs as well as about different types of vehicles. From diggers and fire engines to spaceships and underwater robots, the book is packed with all things that move. Margaret Mayo's lively, rhythmic text is perfect for reading aloud, while Alex Ayliffe's bold and colorful illustrations bring each vehicle to life in vivid detail. With a vehicle for every letter from A to Z, this picture book provides an exciting introduction to the alphabet and is perfect for machine-mad little ones.
Series reading
Non-Sequential
Age
3-6
Length
32 pages
Text complexity
Discussion points
What do you think each vehicle in the book does every day?
Can you imagine being the driver of one of these big machines? Which one would you choose and why?
How do you think these vehicles help people in their jobs?
Which letter and vehicle was your favorite and what did you learn about it?
How do you think the story would change if we added a new vehicle starting with the letter Z?
Tip: Role play these questions
Encourage your child to use their imagination by asking them to think up a story or a scenario involving one of the vehicles from the book.
Discuss the illustrations with your child, focusing on how colors, shapes, and sizes are used to represent different vehicles.
Connect the vehicles in the book to real-life examples that your child might have seen in your community or in media.
Reinforce letter recognition by pointing out the letters in the book and connecting them to the first letters of familiar objects around the house.
Praise your child’s responses to foster confidence and encourage them to express their ideas and opinions about the book.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Alphabet familiarity and early literacy skills
Explanation: Through the integration of various construction vehicles and machinery associated with each letter of the alphabet, 'Big Digger ABC' helps children associate letters with familiar objects and sounds, enhancing their memory and recognition skills.
Real-World Application: This can be directly applied in a child's everyday learning as they begin to recognize and name letters in other contexts, such as in signs, other books, or while engaging with educational toys.
Example Lesson: Introduction to construction vehicles and machinery
Explanation: The book presents various vehicles and machinery, such as diggers, excavators, and bulldozers, each corresponding to different letters of the alphabet. This not only helps in letter recognition but also expands a child's knowledge about different types of machinery.
Real-World Application: Kids can recognize these vehicles in real-world settings like construction sites or in other media and relate them back to their learned alphabets, improving both their language and cognitive skills.
Example Lesson: Vocabulary development
Explanation: By associating each letter with a construction-themed word, children learn new words and their meanings, which aids in vocabulary expansion and language skills from an early age.
Real-World Application: Children can use these new words to describe things in their environment, enhance their descriptive skills, and effectively communicate their thoughts and observations.
Example Lesson: Understanding sequencing and order
Explanation: The alphabetical arrangement of the book from A to Z helps children understand sequencing and the concept of order, which are fundamental aspects of early learning.
Real-World Application: This understanding can help children in organizing their thoughts, tasks, and physical items, both in school settings like sorting activities and in daily routines.