What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up? Heavy Equipment Operator

Although it suffers a bit from MTV-itis (the edits sometimes come so fast and furious it's hard to tell, as Marvin Gaye said, what's going on), this guide to heavy equipment will surely intrigue many young males (and maybe some young females too, though they're, unfortunately, not represented). Three boys each take a turn visiting with an adult who takes him around the everyday working operations of cranes, dump trucks, and "dirt movers" (the last being a catch-all category for bulldozers, scrapers, loaders, compactors, and excavators). Machines digging into the Earth, trucks dumping huge loads of dirt, and "the claw" ripping out large chunks of condemned buildings, all provide a steady stream of action that will hold young viewer's attentions. And although they may not be concerned about the impressive salaries and bennies associated with working in construction and maintenance, they're sure to appreciate a job that lets you play in the dirt all day and get paid for it. Recommended. For ages 4-8. (R. Pitman)