Tiny Tradies; Tami Sussman, illustrated by Tom Jellett

A day at pre-school gets the tradies treatment as toddlers are compared to tradespeople in this vibrant, entertaining and whip-smart yarn.

It’s not easy being a tiny tradie. Following an early start and a big brekkie, it’s time to get dressed in high-vis protective clothing, jump in the ute and head to the construction site. A hard day of labour is in store…digging, climbing, pushing, building, driving, hammering, sanding, lifting and dragging. After a tough day’s work, the tiny tradies should sleep well. They’ll need to because it’ll be another busy day on site tomorrow…

Comparing the busy lives of pre-schoolers to tradespeople makes for plenty of fun in this delightful little read that is perfect for those children of pre-school age and will go down especially well with those who have a tradie parent or sibling in the family. A relatable daycare setting, recognisable situations and plenty of Australianisms will entertain both kiddies and their parents. I have a friend who works in a childcare centre and I will be gifting this copy to her so she can share it with her enthusiastic bunch of tiny tradies.

​Dropped off at the early learning centre, which bears a striking resemblance to a construction site, the tiny tradies get up to all sorts of playful labouring. Ladders are climbed, holes are dug, wheelbarrows are pushed, paint is sprayed, wood is sawn, blocks are stacked, vehicles are driven and cables are explored (or at least they would be if a fellow tradie wasn’t blocking the path with a stop sign). A kind and caring project manager, aka one of the educators, oversees the work and helps any injured workers with a dab of plaster.

Each colourful page captures the fun and often chaotic lives of toddlers as they go about their day exploring the site and organising their tools. All of this under the ever watchful eye of the educators who work tirelessly to ensure accidents are cleaned up, hugs are always available, nappies are changed, mouths are fed and numerous other duties. A tradies day doesn’t end at the school gate, at home there is bookkeeping (reading) to attend to and traffic control to help navigate around a floor covered with hazards (toys).

A joyful celebration of a day in the life of a toddler. Grab your hard hat, boots and high-vis vest and join the tiny tradies!

Recommended for 3+.

With huge thanks to Affirm Press for the copy I received in exchange for an honest review.