Got a little mover and shaker at home? Don’t miss our roundup of children’s books about cars, trucks, trains, planes and all things that go!

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, by Virginia Lee Burton.
This book is a classic and the sweet tale about Mike and his dear steam shovel is sure to appeal to readers of all ages.

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site and Mighty, Mighty Construction Site, by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld.
We can’t resist these timeless stories about construction sites and the machines we love. Whether they are going to bed, or waking up to another day, the construction trucks’ antics are sure to delight.

Amazing Machines Series, by Tony Mitton and illustrated by Ant Parker.
This is one of our favorite book sets. Each book is about a different vehicle, such as Roaring Rockets, Amazing Airplanes and Super Submarines.

Steam Train, Dream Train, by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld
Hop aboard the dream train as the train cars are loaded, polar bears in the reefer car along with the ice cream, elephants fill the tanker cars with colorful paints, tortoises stock the auto rack with cars, and hoppy kangaroos pack the hopper car with bouncy balls.

If I Built a Car, by Chris van Dusen.
What would you do if you could build your own car? Jack, the young boy in this story,  uses his imagination and inspiration to design the ultimate fantasy car. We also love the other If I Built books in this series. 

Sheep in a Jeep, by Nancy E. Shaw and illustrated by Margot Apple.
While out for a drive in the country, these sweet sheep run into a few obstacles and mishaps in their bright, shiny red jeep.

Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks and Things That Go, by Richard Scarry.
No children’s book list about transportation would be complete without this essential story.  Scarry’s inventive illustrations and simple text make this book a favorite in our home. Don’t forget to find Goldbug!

Giant Vehicles, by Rod Green and illustrated by Stephen Biesty.
This wonderfully interactive book is sure to keep children (and adults) entertained. We enjoy looking through each page, lifting the flaps and learning about all the different parts, facts and history about some of the world’s most enormous vehicles like the double-decker Airbus, the largest helicopter, the biggest dump truck on earth and the world’s most enormous submarine.

 

Shark vs. Train, by Chris Barton and illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld.
Shark vs. Train. Who will win? This is the premise for this exciting matchup between two children, their toy shark and train and their big imaginations. Who will win in a high dive? What about on train tracks? What about in a burping, ping pong, board game, hide and seek competition? We love this book and it leaves the kids giggling with delight each and every time.

Planes, by Byron Burton
Got an airplane loving kiddo at home? Check out this book all about the ways we use airplanes, from seaplanes to crop dusters to planes that write messages in the sky.

B is for Bulldozer, by June Sobel and illustrated by Melissa Iwai.
A is for Asphalt and C is for Crane in this creative construction themed alphabet book.

Backseat A-B-See by Maria van Lieshout.
Take a ride though the alphabet wit this colorful book that opens with a wide-eyed young child peering out of the back seat of a car. 

Digger, Dozer, Dumper, by Hope Vestergaard and illustrated by David Slonim.
Poetry and vehicles go together beautifully in this engaging picture book. Children of all ages will love the entertaining rhymes about jobs and personalities of a range of vehicles from backhoes to ambulances to snowplows.

Trucks Go, by Steve Light.
This book is perfect for your truck loving little ones, and features all the sounds trucks make. We are big fans of all the books in this series, about cars, planes, diggers, boats and  trains.