A great addition to any big-machines collection.
In winter, as the farms and town go to sleep, the snowplow driver is just waking up.
Night is falling, and so is the snow. Readers say goodnight to the town but not the snowplow driver and his dog. The driver prepares the snowplow and checks all the parts; then he drops the plow blade and turns on his lights to begin his night of work. Following the route of a snowplow, readers see the ins and outs of driving in snow. As the sun begins to rise, the roads are clear, and it is time for the driver to sleep. In rhyming couplets, Bruss introduces readers to the vocabulary of snowplows and driving in the snow. The text is written in the second person, speaking to the driver and the snowplow and encouraging them on through the night. The illustrations are beautifully made with multiple media, creating different textures that both pop and add depth. Strong lines describe the town, vehicles, and people, but the snow is made to look soft and fluffy. Delicate and detailed snowflakes are stamped over the images to create the effect of snow falling. This book shines light on a lesser-known occupation and gives recognition to the hard work done to keep our roads clear and safe in the snow. The snowplow driver has brown skin and straight, black hair.
A great addition to any big-machines collection. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 30, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-338-08949-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Levine/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
A droll exploration of color and nature—and a welcome reminder to safeguard our planet.
Daywalt and Jeffers’ wildly popular Crayons have an important ecological message.
Though climate change is never mentioned, the book nevertheless gently introduces responsibility for Planet Earth. As in previous titles, the main text is in a large black font, while the Crayons’ dialogue is presented in a smaller, gray font. Blue begins by showing off a blue-tinged image of the globe (land masses are depicted in a darker hue). Green takes over: “Yay, Trees! I did those!” Beige breaks in, pointing to a tiny wheat plant next to two large trees: “And wheat! I did the WHEAT!” Beige puts wheat front and center throughout—even on White’s drawing of mountaintop ice caps. When Red, Yellow, and Orange display drawings of various fruits, Beige interjects, “And WHEAT. Wheat is totally fruit.” Diplomatic Purple politely responds, “Um. NO. It is not.” Purple attempts to dissuade self-important Beige, but it all ends happily as the Crayons join hands and proclaim: “Our planet has all of us too, in many shapes, colors, and sizes.” Beige and Purple reconcile, with Beige adding, “And it’s our job to keep the planet safe.” Young children will easily absorb this positive message. Although these characters have had many outings, their quiet humor still succeeds, and fans will definitely want this new entry.
A droll exploration of color and nature—and a welcome reminder to safeguard our planet. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Feb. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593621080
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
A friendship story for the young and vicious.
The ultimate showdown gets waylaid by an inconvenient friendship.
What could be cooler than a fire truck going head-to-head with a dragon? From the title, fans of Barton’s Shark vs. Train (illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld, 2010) will be prepped for some major fire-and-water action. The three child protagonists certainly anticipate a humdinger of a battle, but unfortunately, antipathy is not on the menu. Turns out, Fire Truck and Dragon are the best of buds. Worse, they won’t even take advantage of their natural gifts. A campout sees them making shadow puppets with flashlights. A barbecue is just a chance for them to show off their “free-range potato salad” and “firehouse beans.” And don’t even bother inviting them to your birthday party, unless you just want them spinning you around before you try for the piñata. When at last the two do face off, what occurs? A staring contest. But readers shouldn’t give up hope. They haven’t seen how they say good night. Barton deftly upsets expectations, both for those familiar with his previous book and newcomers who know what “versus” means. Laughs come equally from the disappointed children in the book as well as readers’ thwarted guesses as to what is going to happen. And McCloskey’s daffy cartoons make a perfect complement to Barton’s high-wired hilarity.
A friendship story for the young and vicious. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 10, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-316-52213-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Nov. 9, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
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