A familiar trope with a subtle, ecological twist
A little green truck is the farm’s best work truck, until he is replaced by a bigger and better model.
Little Green is proud to work on the farm. He has sturdy tires, a shiny coat of bright green paint, and a front fender that curves into a winning smile. He scoots around, picking up packages from town and doing chores. But one day he hears the “Ehrr-ruh-ruh-ruh-ruh!” sound of a bigger, boastful truck. Big Blue seems to say, “I’m the biggest. I’m the bluest. I’m the best.” Poor Little Green is left out in the pasture to rust. (It’s the saddest picture of dismal abandonment one has ever seen, though he does have butterflies and birds to keep him company). Luckily, the farmer’s daughter, Fern, has a brilliant plot to revive Little Green. They spiff him up and use him to transport crops to the farmers market—a gentle, delicate job. Little Green lives up to his color more than ever: he is now fueled with biodiesel and does his part to support sustainable agriculture. Kuo’s lush, folk-art meadows roll across the pages to round out the farm, outlined in white instead of black and textured with dotted grass accents. The effect achieves a nostalgic yet trendy feel that works well with Little Green’s two incarnations.
A familiar trope with a subtle, ecological twist . (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Feb. 16, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-374-30070-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Nov. 10, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2015
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An uplifting tale that will especially resonate with truck mavens.
In this follow-up to Trash Truck (2020), two good pals keep on truckin’.
Donny, a raccoon, and Walter, a bear, are besties who do everything together, from taking care of dental hygiene (hilariously, Donny brushes using a tree branch, while Walter flosses with a bootlace) to savoring a light dumpster breakfast to taking a bit of exercise (such as running from a swarm of angry bees after Walter steals their honey). “Clever and crafty” Donny and Walter are into subterfuge: To trick a vendor into selling them ice cream, Walter dons an overcoat, and Donny, sporting a fedora, rides atop the bear’s shoulders. Life’s good—except these two have no one to play with. Jump rope’s no fun; if each of them holds one end of the rope, no one can jump. Seesawing is unequally balanced, weight-wise. They don’t have much luck searching for friends, but, ever optimistic, they continue looking. Then, when least expected, two great buddies literally pick them up: It’s Trash Truck and young, blond, pale-skinned Hank! And what adventures follow! Donny and Walter can now jump rope, and the “disguised” ice cream buyers now order four cones. Whether or not readers are already familiar with Trash Truck and Hank from the previous book, they’re in for sprightly fun; the cartoony color illustrations, featuring endearing characters, are filled with giggle-worthy sight gags. Background humans are diverse.
An uplifting tale that will especially resonate with truck mavens. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9780063349414
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
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