A clunky, bare-bones format that will nevertheless appeal to fans of all things truck.
The Gardners, creators of the popular YouTube channel Twenty Trucks, which features ditties on everything from dump trucks to street sweepers, compile their favorite lyrics.
In this substantial collection, readers will find songs about both familiar vehicles, like garbage trucks and cement mixers, and lesser-known, high-appeal wheeled machines such as the impressive rock crawler and road zipper, which moves concrete lane dividers. Apart from an introduction and a glossary, the text is composed primarily of lyrics, which do by and large explain what each truck does so that even those unfamiliar with the tunes or the vehicles will understand their purpose. There is no QR code that directs readers to the songs, which would have been helpful for those not already fans of the YouTube channel. Without the music, some of the text feels repetitive (like “Off-Road Racing Truck”), and for the purposes of the book, an edited version of the original lyrics with more photographs than just one per layout would have made it more appealing to younger readers. The glossary does help deepen reader comprehension and is a thoughtful inclusion. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A clunky, bare-bones format that will nevertheless appeal to fans of all things truck. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 9780762482139
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Running Press Kids
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
A heartwarming testament to music’s emotional power.
Music moves a nonverbal child to speak.
The narrator explains that Ronan was “born quiet. Some days he hardly says a word.” Today, when Father and Mother suggest outings to the beach or park, he’s quiet. But he looks up when Grandfather bursts in and proposes attending a concert. With refreshing optimism, Grandfather proclaims it “an adventure,” though Ronan’s parents worry about the “challenge” and “risk” of taking him to a performance. And when Ronan, his dog, and Grandfather reach Symphony Hall, an adventure it is. When the music starts, Ronan is swept away in a whirl of notes. Collectively, the instruments sound like “a sky full of stars,” sending him and his cheerful pup into a space-themed reverie. Boss notes that “the darker instruments sound cool and frightening” and the lighter ones sound “warm and friendly” but does not name the instruments, a missed opportunity to deepen readers’ understanding of the music enthralling Ronan. Audience and orchestra members alike are moved to laughter and applause when the music stops, and an awed Ronan utters his first “WOW!” Kheiriyeh’s endearing, pastel-hued cartoon illustrations convey Ronan’s astonishment and joy. Though an author’s note explains that the story is based on an actual nonverbal child’s experience of a Mozart piece in 2019, details such as Mother’s pearls and housedress and Grandfather’s finned car evoke a bucolic 1950s setting. Ronan and his family present white; background characters are racially diverse.
A heartwarming testament to music’s emotional power. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781534499713
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2024
Not a high-octane outing, but it could fill in some background for curious would-be motorists just out of their car seats.
Pull tabs and other special effects rev up this look at the lives of cars, from factory to junkyard.
The book opens with a sparse “museum” of early autos and closes with a visit to a Formula 1 racetrack. In between, single-topic spreads take generic automobiles from design lab to dealer, supply glimpses of a dashboard and beneath the hood, then go on to show what happens at a repair shop, a service station, and a car wash. Moving elements, one or two per page, are fairly sturdy and relatively varied—ranging from large flaps to geared wheels, tabs, and slots that work a hydraulic lift or allow a wreck to be hauled aboard a tow truck. In Hardenberg’s translation from the French, Krasinski’s simply phrased labels and commentary incorporate some distinctive vocabulary: “prototype,” “exhaust pipe,” “pre-owned.” Though hybrid, electric, and driverless cars receive nods, the focus throughout is mainly on traditional gas guzzlers. Latyk darkens the skin of some of the stylized human figures in his simple illustrations, but like the cars on display, most are small on the page and generic of feature.
Not a high-octane outing, but it could fill in some background for curious would-be motorists just out of their car seats. (Informational novelty. 4-6)Pub Date: Feb. 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-2-40800-790-4
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Twirl/Chronicle
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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