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THE BIG CONCRETE LORRY: A Tale of Trotter Street by Shirley Hughes Kirkus Star

THE BIG CONCRETE LORRY: A Tale of Trotter Street

By

Pub Date: May 28th, 1990
Publisher: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard

The five Pattersons and their dog are rather a snug fit in their row house, so they decide to put on an ""extension"" like Mr. Lal's next door. It will be economical, since Dad (with help from the neighbors) will put it up himself. When the cement arrives a day early and is dumped by the front door (no access to the back, presumably), it occasions a memorable community effort to wheelbarrow it through the house and into place before it sets. As always, Hughes presents people of various races and ages working and playing together in a mix as serendipitous as the small cement hill, left over from the project, that becomes a favorite gathering place and lookout for the neighborhood children. Her deftly drawn, beautifully designed illustrations, full of wholesome good humor, wonderfully convey her characters' enthusiasm, the flurry of activity, and the satisfaction of a job well done. Not to be missed.