Mini Mighty Sweeps

by Lori Alexander, Jeff Harter (Illustrator)

Overview

Don’t miss this charming picture book about a tiny cleaning machine with a mighty heart. Perfect for fans of Sherri Duskey Rinker’s Mighty, Mighty Construction Site, and Three Cheers for Kid McGear.

Sweeps is a mini and mighty cleaning machine! She’s eager to get to work, but the other trucks don’t leave any jobs for her. Big jobs are only for the big trucks, they say.

But when a storm strikes, can Sweeps flex her brushes and step up to save the day?

This heartwarming story from Lori Alexander, with inviting illustrations by Jeff Harter, reminds us that heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Sweeps will win the heart of all young fans of construction vehicles.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062250162
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	08/02/2022
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	651,653
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Lori Alexander is mini in size but still tries to do mighty things! She loves her big job as author of picture books, like Backhoe Joe. She also writes chapter book biographies about scientists, doctors, and other fascinating figures. Her book All in a Drop: How Antony van Leeuwenhoek Discovered an Invisible World, illustrated by Vivien Mildenberger, was a Sibert Honor winner for distinguished nonfiction. Lori lives in Tucson, Arizona, with her husband, two book-loving kids, and two book-eating dogs. You can visit her at lorialexanderbooks.com. 

Jeff Harter is an illustrator, character designer, animated TV show creator and professor of illustration. He has illustrated greeting cards, magazines, and children’s books, including The Lion on the Bus. Jeff lives with his family in New York, where he enjoys exploring the scenic countryside in his mini mighty SUV. You can see more of Jeff’s work at www.jeffharter.com.

 

Editorial Reviews

2022-08-17
Watch what this little green machine can do!

Sweeps, a compact green sidewalk sweeper, wants to prove her mettle, but her small stature frequently means she’s dismissed with a “Big jobs are for big trucks” by the bigger guys. As the week progresses, Sweeps tries to join in on cleaning jobs, but the larger vehicles beat her to it. So Sweeps tries her spinning bristles at towing cars and making a siren noise, but she’s not equipped to handle these jobs. On Friday, Sweeps’ mounting failures lead to depression, and she decides to stay inside the garage, but the other trucks get caught in a “floody, muddy mess” caused by a storm. Thankfully, Sweeps is there to get the big guys cleaned up and back on the road. Readers will appreciate Sweeps’ can-do attitude and perseverance even though the plot doesn’t always make sense. (Even if an excavator can get stuck in the mud, can a street cleaner really save the day?) The digital illustrations do a lot to distract from the nonlogic of the situation, and young readers who love trucks will be enchanted to see a sidewalk sweeper get a starring role. Mike Mulligan and Katy don’t have anything to worry about just yet, but Sweeps makes a charming addition to the genre of vehicles-as-characters. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An entertaining underdog tale. (Picture book. 4-6)

Kirkus Reviews