Ten-four, good buddy; there are plenty of trucks to ogle, but unless you’re a fanatic, just drive on by.
A second-generation truck lover indulges in a favorite pursuit.
“It’s time to get up now. / We’re ready to load. / Goodbye to the city. / Hello to the road!” A ponytailed kid climbs aboard their parents’ truck to accompany them on a haul. Along the way, a plethora of fellow vehicular travelers catch the narrator’s eye: fire engines, trailers, flatbeds, and more. Finally the delivery is made (mom and dad trade off driving, which makes for a nice touch), and the protagonist is left to dream of having a truck of their own someday. Backmatter includes two pages of different types of trucks accompanied by additional information. While young enthusiasts who devour all things truck related will be appeased, there is not much to distinguish this book from the scads already on the market. The rhymes are unexciting (“A trucker will haul things / A very short way / Or far across country / In one single day”), and there is the occasional odd illustration choice, as in the image of two Dalmatians sticking their heads up into the air from the body of a fire engine. Dad presents white while mom and child have a slightly darker skin tone.
Ten-four, good buddy; there are plenty of trucks to ogle, but unless you’re a fanatic, just drive on by. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-63592-130-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: StarBerry Books
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Construction fans are bound to locate this one. Other readers need not apply.
Do bulldozers dream of electric sheep? Philip K. Dick’s might, but this bulldozer has less outré dreams.
In this follow-up to Race Car Dreams (2016), the sun sets and a busy little bulldozer screeches to a halt. The ground suitably leveled, he heads home, making a pit stop at a car wash and a gas station for his rumbly tummy. After picking out a book from the library (note the forklift librarian), he finally snuggles down with his orange pylon toy and dreams of the playground that will come to pass, filled with romping kids. In this world of anthropomorphic vehicles, these are the first and last humans readers ever lay eyes on. Heavy-equipment–loving kids are no strangers to beddy-bye construction tales, but there is a kind of comfort to be found in watching the bulldozer systematically go through all the nighttime steps, from bathing to a story to a snack. Brightly colored digital art paints the cooling of the day into an array of hues as the sun sinks into the horizon.
Construction fans are bound to locate this one. Other readers need not apply. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7624-5966-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Running Press
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
All is happy and peaceful on this springtime Israeli holiday.
A sister and brother celebrate Israel’s Independence Day.
Redheaded, white Arielle happily gets ready for her workday because it is a very special day: Yom Ha’Atzma’ut, Israel’s birthday or Independence Day. Her brother Ezra is also getting ready to go to work. Arielle rides her scooter through the colorful streets of Jerusalem and thinks about her great-great-grandfather Ari, who was a conductor on a train from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem over 100 years ago—and who celebrated Passover in Cohen’s Engineer Ari and the Passover Rush (2015) and Sukkot in Engineer Ari and the Sukkah Express (2010), both illustrated by Shahar Kober. Arielle drives a very modern train, but before she starts out, she tapes a poster to the roof of the front car. Many people board the trains, including Arielle’s friends, who want her to join in their activities, but she is going to celebrate with her brother. The train makes many stops in Jerusalem, and Arielle finally sees her brother flying overhead with the Israeli Air Force in planes that spell out “Israel” in their contrails. From his cockpit, Ezra can read the message that his sister has placed on the train—and it is no surprise on this holiday. Orrelle’s bright and splashy art depicts a bevy of happy folk of a variety of skin colors.
All is happy and peaceful on this springtime Israeli holiday. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5124-2095-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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