ALA Booklist (Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

Here is the rock-pounding, deep-digging sequel to the highly acclaimed Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site (2011). The five truck buddies (Crane Truck, Dump Truck, Cement Mixer, Bulldozer, and Excavator) wake up in the construction site. Newly delivered blueprints tell them they're in for an enormous building job, much more than even this intrepid crew can handle. Cement Mixer's series of blaring honks summons 10 other trucks to help. Construction-loving kids will adore the wealth of details about the roles of each. A nice touch is that two starring roles are given to female trucks (Skid Steer can break up rocks and maneuver in tight spaces; Flatbed can handle big loads of materials). Lichtenheld's colorful wax-oil pastels burst with the trucks' activity and make creative use of inset illustration panels. The rhyming text makes the plot as zippy as the trucks, all of which sport endearingly expressive headlights and grilles. While this covers much of the same ground as the first book, it drives home good lessons on hard work and teamwork. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site became both an ALA and a New York Times Notable Children's Book, as well as a number one best-seller. People will be revving their engines to get their hands on this sequel.

Horn Book (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

This time, the Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site vehicles had better stay awake: they must build a complicated structure--STAT. Fortunately, their call for reinforcements results in a galvanized (in both senses) team. Buoyant rhymes are propped up by illustrations that imbue the trucks with human facial features without reducing them to cartoony caricatures. Rinker and Lichtenheld maintain their skyscraper-high batting average.

Kirkus Reviews

Vehicles from the popular Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site (2011) are up-and-at-'em in a new title focused on industry and teamwork. As in its companion title, rhyming text follows a fleet of anthropomorphic construction vehicles from one detail-rich spread to the next. This time they're working together to erect an elaborate building—so large and complex that they call in friends to help. Compositions including simultaneous succession (a series of pictures of the same character on one spread) and superimposed panel illustrations help to organize and pace the progression of the story. Two of the vehicles are identified with feminine pronouns (Skid Steer and Flatbed Truck); happily, Lichtenheld eschews the tired, stereotyped girls-with-eyelashes convention. Multiple trucks display tough-looking underbites, but the warm colors and mottled effect lent by Lichtenheld's oil pastels keep the overall vibe comfortably soft. By the book's end, the text declares, "Cooperation got it done; / teamwork made it fast—and fun!"—but the completed building looks oddly incomplete. Is it supposed to be mostly made of glass? The black lines and open space suggest this, but this part of the illustration stands awkwardly out from the rest of the climactic, colorful illustration. Sure to be a hit with fans of the prior title even if they wonder about that odd-looking building. (Picture book. 2-5)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

The five industrious vehicles previously spotlighted in the bestselling Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site eagerly start a new day in this sequel, which brings the machines new challenges and welcome assistance. Recharged and revved up, the vehicles review the plan for their new project (-A massive building so immense-/ this giant job will be intense!-) and call for help. Construction aficionados will be eager to see what these reinforcements can do, as they roll onto the site to create a -mighty, massive supercrew.- The work force doubles with five additional vehicles, such as Skid Steer and Bulldozer, and Rinker-s rhymes both introduce them and explain how they operate in tandem: -Skid-s breaker bit blasts rocks to rubble,/ so -Dozer rolls through without trouble./ Two friends at work-one big, one small;/ they clear the way. They move it all!- Rinker and Lichtenheld are an equally solid team, and their bouncy rhymes and earth-toned images of cheerfully anthropomorphic vehicles keep the tone upbeat and amicable. Another job well done. Ages 2-4. Agent: Amy Rennert, Amy Rennert Agency. (Feb.)

School Library Journal (Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

PreS-Gr 1 In this follow-up to the wildly popular Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site , the trucks are back, working together to get the job done. This task is a bit too big for the old crew, though, and some new friends make an appearance, including a skid steer loader, a backhoe, a flatbed, a pumper truck, and a front-end loader. Fans of the first title, and vehicle lovers in general, will adore this story that's perfect for reading anytime of day. Filled with vibrant illustrations and rich vocabulary, this rhyming tale is sure to make readers grin as brightly as the smiling vehicles in the book! VERDICT A solid addition for storytimes and one-on-one sharing. Expect high circulation. Emily E. Lazio, The New York Public Library