FOOD TRUCK FEST!

Vivid details highlight the workers and dining fans who make up a local food-truck festival scene.

For it all to happen, the food-truck owners must gather, prepare, cook, and transport it all, which turns out to be a lot more work than kids might expect. That work is presented in clear explanations that demystify what’s behind those serving windows. “They’re kitchens on wheels, without the frills,” it’s explained, and similarly, the book’s text is stripped down into simple rhyming couplets. The story of how the trucks get to the fest is shown in parallel to a family’s preparations to attend. Though it seems meant to build anticipation and give the child’s view on things, the family members aren’t named and do little more than rush. But that doesn’t matter because the illustrations and knowledgeable text keep the attention focused on the variety of the trucks and the work done by the people who run them. By the time readers get to the fest, with trucks with names such as “Pho Sho” and “Slow Your Roll” (eggrolls, of course), it’s obvious that food blogger Penfold’s knowledge is coming through. The illustrations pack in a big, wide range of people, from customers to chefs to musicians, convincingly creating a vibrant community brought together by the variety of things they love to eat. (The focal family is pale-skinned.)

Will very likely make young readers yearn for a big foodie event like the one depicted.