Vehicle-crazed children will surely love their favorite tales better with a little grease and lots of burning rubber.
A revved-up and souped-up version of the classic tale for vehicle lovers.
Little Red, a bright red scooter, loves his neighborhood, a modern-looking, Jetsons-meets-Cars–ish place filled with factories and stores catering to cars and trucks: Wanda’s Windshields, Deals on Wheels, Turbo Tom’s Tune-Up. But he doesn’t love Tank, a mean assault vehicle. But that is just whom he encounters when his mother sends him with some tune-up goodies for his run-down granny, a purple golf cart. Tank scoffs at the quality of Little Red’s offerings, sending him to Zip’s Auto Bonanza for better parts. Although Little Red’s caution lights go off, he does want the best for his granny. Tank, meanwhile, prepares for a “sweet scooter dessert.” But Little Red wasn’t born yesterday, and he senses something’s “out of alignment” at Granny’s. In the end, his maneuverability and knowledge of his ’hood turn out to be his best assets. Gall’s digital artwork is filled with bold colors and fine-lined textures. He cleverly uses the vehicles’ parts to make their faces, right down to Granny’s pearl earrings—her side mirrors. Little Red’s brilliant color nicely stands out against the blues, greens and silvers of the ’hood and the browns of the forest. And Tank is menacingly evil with his canine teeth protruding from his grille.
Vehicle-crazed children will surely love their favorite tales better with a little grease and lots of burning rubber. (Fractured fairy tale. 3-6)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-60969-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014
Count on construction die-hards falling in love, but discerning readers would be wise to look elsewhere for their...
Less ambitious than Chris Gall’s widely known Dinotrux (2009) and sequels, this British import systematically relegates each dinosaur/construction-equipment hybrid to its most logical job.
The title figures are introduced as bigger than both diggers and dinosaurs, and rhyming text and two construction-helmeted kids show just what these creatures are capable of. Each diggersaur has a specific job to do and a distinct sound effect. The dozersaurus moves rocks with a “SCRAAAAPE!!!” while the rollersaurus flattens lumps with a cheery “TOOT TOOT!!” Each diggersaur is numbered, with 12 in all, allowing this to be a counting book on the sly. As the diggersaurs (not all of which dig) perform jobs that regular construction equipment can do, albeit on a larger scale, there is no particular reason why any of them should have dinosaurlike looks other than just ’cause. Peppy computer art tries valiantly to attract attention away from the singularly unoriginal text. “Diggersaurs dig with bites so BIG, / each SCOOP creates a crater. // They’re TOUGH and STRONG / with necks so long— / they’re super EXCAVATORS!” Far more interesting are the two human characters, a white girl and a black boy, that flit about the pictures offering commentary and action. Much of the fun of the book can be found in trying to spot them on every two-page spread.
Count on construction die-hards falling in love, but discerning readers would be wise to look elsewhere for their dino/construction kicks. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-9848-4779-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Engines won’t be the only thing roaring their approval when this book hits storytime.
Who needs sanity when you’ve got family?
The title character of Elbow Grease (2018) and his family of Demolition Derby trucks return to face an all-new competitor. Once again, ’Bo is feeling inadequate next to his fan-favorite brothers. Despite Mel the Mechanic’s encouragement—he’s “the best at getting better”—he wants to be noticed. But instead, he notices someone unavoidable. Motozilla, the monster machine that turns trucks “into crunch sandwiches,” is currently undefeated. Trouble is, you’d need a truck with an array of skills to take him down. Thinking fast, ’Bo makes the wild and somewhat improbable suggestion that he and his brothers join together to form a single supertruck. Will it be enough to take down this bully? Quips, jests, and teamwork are the name of the game as pro wrestler Cena improves on his writing in this second outing, which demonstrates that individual glory falls in the face of concentrated cooperation. Rollicking, radical art portrays the battle in all its gritty glory, mud and twisted metal galore. Human crowds show a diverse range of races and genders, and the trucks’ keeper, Mel, has light-brown skin and wears glasses.
Engines won’t be the only thing roaring their approval when this book hits storytime. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5247-7353-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
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