by Kim Norman ; illustrated by Carolyn Conahan ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 4, 2015
This intergenerational romp filled with sight gags and puns will keep readers humming as they pore over each detail-packed...
A flower-power VW bus races cross-country along crowded dirt lanes and city freeways to the tune of “This Old Man.”
A chaotic counting adventure ensues as the van and its precariously attached luggage rack motors along past construction vehicles, trains, tractors, and anything else on wheels: “This old van, she passed ONE, / shining in the rising sun. / With a click clack rattle rack, / ready for some fun, / this old van says, / ‘GOOD-BYE, ONE!’ ” Conahan’s soft pastel palette and comically inventive, Peter Max–inspired illustrations—from the grinning, wide-eyed bulldozers to the hard-hat–wearing mountain goats—are reminiscent of the Saturday-morning-cartoons of the 1960s. The peace-sign–waving, green-shaded–, tie-dye–, and bell-bottom–sporting grandparents who own the titular van leave their home on Hippie Way in Groovytown to keep a date with their grandson Jake for his derby meet. Challenged by flat tires and flying dirt clods, the happy-go-lucky, aging flower children don’t let anything keep them down for long. With the pedal to the metal, Gramps at last cajoles (with Granny and the dog pushing from behind) the aging van over one last hill to the finish line.
This intergenerational romp filled with sight gags and puns will keep readers humming as they pore over each detail-packed page. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4549-1063-3
Page Count: 30
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2015
Share your opinion of this book
More by Kim Norman
BOOK REVIEW
by Kim Norman ; illustrated by David Walker
BOOK REVIEW
by Kim Norman ; illustrated by Toshiki Nakamura
BOOK REVIEW
by Kim Norman ; illustrated by Pierre Collet-Derby
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 22, 2019
A sweet reminder that it’s easy to weather a storm with the company and kindness of friends.
Is it a stormy-night scare or a bedtime book? Both!
Little Blue Truck and his good friend Toad are heading home when a storm lets loose. Before long, their familiar, now very nervous barnyard friends (Goat, Hen, Goose, Cow, Duck, and Pig) squeeze into the garage. Blue explains that “clouds bump and tumble in the sky, / but here inside we’re warm and dry, / and all the thirsty plants below / will get a drink to help them grow!” The friends begin to relax. “Duck said, loud as he could quack it, / ‘THUNDER’S JUST A NOISY RACKET!’ ” In the quiet after the storm, the barnyard friends are sleepy, but the garage is not their home. “ ‘Beep!’ said Blue. ‘Just hop inside. / All aboard for the bedtime ride!’ ” Young readers will settle down for their own bedtimes as Blue and Toad drop each friend at home and bid them a good night before returning to the garage and their own beds. “Blue gave one small sleepy ‘Beep.’ / Then Little Blue Truck fell fast asleep.” Joseph’s rich nighttime-blue illustrations (done “in the style of [series co-creator] Jill McElmurry”) highlight the power of the storm and capture the still serenity that follows. Little Blue Truck has been chugging along since 2008, but there seems to be plenty of gas left in the tank.
A sweet reminder that it’s easy to weather a storm with the company and kindness of friends. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-328-85213-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
Share your opinion of this book
More by Alice Schertle
BOOK REVIEW
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry
BOOK REVIEW
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph
BOOK REVIEW
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph
by Hope Vestergaard ; illustrated by David Slonim ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 27, 2013
While there are many rhyming truck books out there, this stands out for being a collection of poems.
Rhyming poems introduce children to anthropomorphized trucks of all sorts, as well as the jobs that they do.
Adorable multiethnic children are the drivers of these 16 trucks—from construction equipment to city trucks, rescue vehicles and a semi—easily standing in for readers, a point made very clear on the final spread. Varying rhyme schemes and poem lengths help keep readers’ attention. For the most part, the rhymes and rhythms work, as in this, from “Cement Mixer”: “No time to wait; / he can’t sit still. / He has to beg your pardon. / For if he dawdles on the way, / his slushy load will harden.” Slonim’s trucks each sport an expressive pair of eyes, but the anthropomorphism stops there, at least in the pictures—Vestergaard sometimes takes it too far, as in “Bulldozer”: “He’s not a bully, either, / although he’s big and tough. / He waits his turn, plays well with friends, / and pushes just enough.” A few trucks’ jobs get short shrift, to mixed effect: “Skid-Steer Loader” focuses on how this truck moves without the typical steering wheel, but “Semi” runs with a royalty analogy and fails to truly impart any knowledge. The acrylic-and-charcoal artwork, set against white backgrounds, keeps the focus on the trucks and the jobs they are doing.
While there are many rhyming truck books out there, this stands out for being a collection of poems. (Picture book/poetry. 3-6)Pub Date: Aug. 27, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7636-5078-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 28, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2013
Share your opinion of this book
More by Hope Vestergaard
BOOK REVIEW
by Hope Vestergaard and illustrated by Valeria Petrone
BOOK REVIEW
by Hope Vestergaard & illustrated by Carol Koeller
BOOK REVIEW
by Hope Vestergaard & illustrated by Maggie Smith
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.