Casey & Friends in "Big Tractors" by Holly Dufek & illustrated by Paul Nunn [Plus a great toy tractor giveaway]

About the book: Follow Casey the farmer, Tillus the worm, Big Red the tractor, and a whole cast of cartoon equipment characters who teach important life lessons gleaned from the farm, like thinking ahead and working as a team. There are educational sidebars, picture glossaries and fun farming facts for added learning possibilities.

Octane Press, Hardcover $14.99
Ages 4-8 | 32 pages 

Big Tractors with Casey & Friends (Apr. 2015) shows how the biggest, most powerful tractors handle the demanding jobs of pulling and powering on the farm. Find out how Big Red and Sammy – the biggest tractors on the farm – use their powerful muscles to work in the field with the rest of the team. Learn about the science of farming and discover how advanced technology makes Big Red and Sammy special.

“Know a kid or two who thinks corn comes from the grocery’s freezer section? Put ‘em on track with A Year on the Farm with Casey & Friends....Plenty of detail combined with lots of color photos and illustrations makes this an engaging read for kids ages 4-8. A fun (and educational) read for kids and their grandparents!” —Leslie McManus, Farm Collector Magazine

My thoughts: Kids love tractors and motorized vehicles; and the more different they are from what they encounter daily, the more they are interested. Tractors are not your ordinary vehicle - unless you live on a farm. And then, even if a kid lives on a farm, he might not encounter BIG tractors. I mean those huge tractors used in modern farming and on huge farms.

Casey is a farm girl and she takes the reader along on a tour of Big Tractors and they learn just what these tractors do on the farm. Big Tractors is wonderfully illustrated with photographs and cartoon characters, courtesy of Paul Nunn. The "picture book" aspect alone is great! However, this is a fun learning adventure. Kids will learn about the farm and where the good food they eat actually comes from.

It is interesting to learn about lift and leverage in the work of the tractor and the use of weights. And the pictorial time line of tractor development is eye opening. Aren't we thankful that we don't just depend on a couple of horses or mules to farm the land today? And discovering the work of the "attachments" for tractors is fabulous. The interest age for this books is 4-8 years, but I can see that Dad will find a lot to interest him as well as the little ones in the family.

This entire series of books promises to provide fun and educational reading for the children in your life as you teach them where that corn-on-the-cob came from and the wheat for their bread and the tractors used to grow them.

GIVEAWAY

Begins May 16 & ENDS May 30 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT. 

A copy of Big Tractors and one toy tractor
Open to USA addresses only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

OCTANE PRESS produces high-quality narrative and illustrated books for discerning enthusiast audiences. Some of the company’s best-known titles include Red Tractors 1958–2013: The Authoritative Guide to IH and Case IH Tractors and Beast: The Top Secret Ilmor-Penske Engine that Shocked the Racing World at the Indy 500. Octane Press has won several book awards, including IBPA Benjamin Franklin awards (Red Tractors 1958–2013, Forward, Adventurous Motorcyclist’s Guide to Alaska) and Independent Publisher Awards (In the Red, Red Tractors 1958–2013).
TOY SPECS: CASE IH Magnum 370 CVT Tractor Toy | Built to 1:64 scale | Single front & rear duals, detailed interior, free rolling wheels | MSRP $8.50. Recommended for ages 3+
DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary book and toy to facilitate this review. Opinions expressed are my own. I was not compensated for this review. Prize will be provided and shipped to winner by publicists.