An elegant bird and a hulking construction vehicle may seem at odds, but this deceptively simple picture book shows how cranes of both sorts compare. Double-page spreads with soft mixed-media illustrations depict an avian crane on the left and a jolly construction worker operating a mechanical crane on the right. A series of action verbs, such as lift, grab, and stack, help reveal their similar motions. On sunny days, it's easy for both cranes to glide with their piles of wood, while stormy days make both cranes sway. But what is each crane building? A duck and her ducklings swimming past the feathered crane and a pregnant couple waving hello to the crane operator provide clues. As both cranes plop final touches on their building projects, readers see a completed nest and house. And as both families finally rest, the final spread connects them both with home. A concluding "Crane vs. Crane" graphic gives another comparative visual and labels their various parts. This picture book offers a charming way to combine observation and language skills.

Singleton compares the activities of a sandhill crane and a construction crane to teach simple vocabulary and to enable readers to observe similarities between two very different things. Bird and machine are engaged in parallel activities. The bird is building a nest; the crane is building a house for a young couple with a baby on the way. Thus the story is skillfully shifted from the machine to the human story of the baby being born. The only text consists of simple, sometimes onomatopoeic verbs scattered through the pages as the bird and crane "lift" objects; "stretch" their appendages; "honk"; choose, "grab," and "stack" building materials; and "sway" in a tempestuous wind. Finally the house is built and the nest is complete, and the occupants of both move in. A crane chick hatches from an egg, and a baby is born in the new house. Both families are at peace in their new dwellings. The final word on the page is a noun: "Home." Smythe's shimmering watercolor-and-crayon illustrations convey the charming subtext of the nonverbal story of the crane family nesting and hatching and the white human family for whom the house is being built.This charming and original book offers much for young readers and their caregivers to talk about as well as encouraging comparison and simile skills. (Picture book. 3-6)

PreS-K This book draws comparisons between a construction crane and a sandhill crane. Both stretch, honk, and grab and stack materials as they work to build a new homeCrane for her babies, and the machine, a new home for a family. Side-by-side illustrations depict the animal and the machine demonstrating an action word printed in bold text (e.g., for "grab," the bird picks up sticks while the machine picks up logs). The juxtaposition is food for thought as readers progress through the book noticing similarities and differences. Both achieving a common goal is a nice wrap-up to the mirroring in the story. The illustrations are bold and warmly depict both nature and the industrial world. The end pages include a labeled diagram of both bird and machine. VERDICT A great book for teaching different meanings of words, useful for a read-aloud or a lapsit. Recommended as a general purchase for preschool collections. Jasmine L. Precopio, Fox Chapel Area School District, Pittsburgh