Olson-Brown borrows the tune of "Hush Little Baby" and adapts it for the benefit of the automotive-obsessed youngster. Engines rumble to life with, "Hush little digger, don't say a word, / Papa's gonna scoop you a pile of dirt. / And if that dirt starts to overflow, / Papa's gonna find you a red backhoe." There are occasions throughout where the tempo sputters a bit with jittery rhymes or an overabundance of syllables. Still, the ride is made worthy by White's pictures with cartoon vibrancy and nimble, witty tidbits. While father, with his slick, black pompadour, and son frolic in and out of various heavy machinery, the illustrations are popping with details to attract the fancy of youngsters, like ogle-eyed worms, bountiful balls, a dump truck brimming with chickens and various funky creatures. Not as cleverly crafted as Daniel Kirk's Hush Little Alien (1999), but for those children with a vehicle mania, this illustrated lullaby will drive away the blues. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

PreS-K. Inspired by the traditional lullaby Hush Little Baby, this picture book will instantly find its audience--small folks who love big trucks--thanks to the jacket, which shows a boy and his father riding in the bucket of an excavator. The story begins as the dad tells his son that he is going to find him a red backhoe, then discarding that idea in favor of a front-end loader, trading up to a big dump truck, and so on. The text rolls along pretty well, with some amusing verbal stretches to create satisfying rhymes as well as the occasional near-rhyme or bump in the rhythm. Despite the constantly repeated notion of swapping one piece of machinery for another, variations in the oil and colored-pencil illustrations create a pleasing new scenario on each double-page spread. Sometimes zany, the artwork stays well within the bounds of a child's imaginative play. Parents, teachers, and children will find this picture book fun for reading aloud, and even more fun for singing aloud. --Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2006 Booklist

Hush, little digger, don't say a word, / Papa's gonna scoop you a pile of dirt."" In this twist on the classic lullaby, a father and son scoop up penguins with a red backhoe, feed a giraffe with a cherry picker, and do other odd jobs. White's silly illustrations move the action forward, but the text's uneven meter makes some lines feel rushed. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

PreS-K-This entertaining twist on the traditional lullaby opens with the lines, "Hush, little digger, don't say a word,/Papa's gonna scoop you a pile of dirt./And if that dirt starts to overflow,/Papa's gonna find you a red backhoe." In succession, Papa upgrades to a front-end loader, a big dump truck, an asphalt paver, a bulldozer, a concrete crusher, etc. The lyrics flow in rhythm with the traditional melody. White's cartoons, rendered in painted oil and colored pencil, perk up the verses. In one illustration, little digger maneuvers a backhoe with a scoop full of penguins. When the cherry picker gives the boy a lift up, the youngster offers an apple to an eager giraffe. A fun, lively choice for one-on-one sharing or for storytimes, this father/son story is a whimsical addition for kids who just can't get enough heavy equipment.-Lynn K. Vanca, Akron-Summit County Public Library, Richfield, OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.