Starred review from November 1, 2024
Broach and Murphy rev up for a promising new series starring a lonely anthropomorphic construction vehicle. Bulldozer's usually on his own: His older sisters have their own social lives, and a pair of older twins who live nearby don't want to play. He worries about making friends when school starts. His mom (a human, like the other characters) maneuvers him into welcoming the new family across the street--"a terrible idea," in Bulldozer's opinion, because meeting strangers is scary and hard. He really does want a playmate for his racetrack, so he complies--then contends with shy but bossy Millie Patel and her annoyingly voluble little brother, a cat in a tree, a pile of boxes that need to be moved, and feeling underappreciated. By book's end, though, he's made a friend; he'll also garner a loyal following of readers who will eagerly anticipate his next adventure. Bulldozer's monologue and the characters' dialogue are spot-on, beautifully conveying the protagonist's doubts and fears, irritations and resentments, hopes and wishes, and pride at stepping out of his comfort zone. Murphy's graceful, two-color line drawings depict our hero as small (for a bulldozer) but sturdy, with a saffron-colored cab. He has "big black tires that get hot in the sun" and an expressively mobile mouth on his windshield. The characters are realistically portrayed against minimal backgrounds; Mom is light-skinned, while the Patels are cued South Asian. An enthralling tale about doing the heavy lifting of making friends. (grammar activities)(Chapter book. 5-8)
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October 7, 2024
Bulldozer, an anthropomorphic machine with a human family, has never made a friend before. So when Mom suggests he take cookies to greet their new neighbors the Patels, Bulldozer worries: will his fear of strangers and new experiences prevent him from completing the task? He nevertheless persists, but things get off to a rocky start when Jay, Mrs. Patel’s young son, asks for a ride (“Bulldozer feels insulted. He is so much more than a truck”). Bulldozer reluctantly agrees to Jay’s request and Mrs. Patel insists that Jay’s older sister Millie, who is Bulldozer’s age, join them. To everyone’s dismay, the trio nearly run over a cat. But after they rescue said cat from a tree, Millie warms to Bulldozer and a friendship is born. Despite his metal exterior, Bulldozer is a fully fleshed-out character; young readers will relate to his fears and conflicting desires to appease others and stand up for himself. This sweetly simple story by Broach (Masterpiece) addresses sometimes-challenging issues surrounding meeting new people with a light and understanding touch, and expressive b&w line drawings with muted orange accents by Murphy (Dakota Crumb and the Secret Bookshop) bring Bulldozer and his world to life. Ages 6–9.