I'm Dirty! (by Kate McMullan, Susan Meddaugh)

This rollicking picture book packs a lot of action in the illustrations and the story. Any child who's fascinated by construction sites or big, yellow trucks will love the busy, buzzing monologue by an enthusiastic backhoe loader. Words and pictures mesh perfectly here. The grungy, rough background looks delightfully messy, and the bright orange-yellow of our friendly narrator pushes past his chunky outline, emphasizing his strength and zeal.

The text is informative (sharing the bits and pieces that make up a backhoe's tool chest), educational (a four-page spread counts backward as the truck cleans up old tires and broken lawn chairs), and entertaining. Kids who love mess and mud will like watching the backhoe become dirtier the more he helps clean. Bursting with energetic fonts that boom out in capitals and boldface, this book is fun to read aloud -- just be sure to keep it off the naptime book list.