There is no shortage of books about construction, including children's books. Having two children under the age of five, and working in the construction industry media, my curiosity of childern's books relating to construction has been piqued. We've read a few, and I have mixed reviews.
We've written a lot on ForConstructionPros.com about the labor shortage and the need to introduce the younger generations to the benefits of working in the construction industry — and the bigger need to fight the stigma that a career in construction is something to be looked down on.
On the one hand, I love how children's books have the opportunity to not only teach children about construction, but they offer a fun and engaging format to get them excited about construction equipment and construction. Plus, they might even pique the interest of the parents reading them!
On the other hand, it drives me nuts when books use the wrong names for certain pieces of equipment! Does that bother anyone else? Maybe that's just a small irritation for an editor who's job it is to make sure I use the right words!
Recently, the author of the children's book "Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site," visited our local elementary school. One thing the author mentioned is that her child loved to read about trucks and construction, but many of those books would get the child all excited before bedtime, making bedtime that much harder. So she decided to write "Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site," as an option that would cover her child's area of interest while helping calm him down before bed. I found that little tidbit interesting, and thought I'd share.
What are your thoughts about construction related children's books? Do you think they have any benefit for the construction industry or are purely entertainment? Does it drive you nuts when books use the wrong terms for construction equipment? Have you ever thought about writing a children's book about construction?
Share your thoughts in our comments section.
