All in all, it’s an infinite loop of automotive joys interwoven with a rather charming narrative.
Automobiles galore in this ode to the particular set of pleasures and miseries that occur in a world full of cars.
The fun begins with a white rabbit clad in purple clothes. “Big cars, small cars, / let’s call ALL cars!” the rabbit bellows into a megaphone, as a highway full of animal-driven cars twists around a group of soft blue, bright green, and sunny orange buildings. Each double-page spread offers a surplus of amusing sights: three pigs in a convertible, a kitten chauffeuring a royal pair of lions, love-struck snakes hugging and tugging their cars too close together. Beise’s digital illustrations pop with vivid colors. Lots of curves and circular shapes make up the varied landscapes, providing a sense of momentum to the whole endeavor. At times, Fliess’ sing-along wordplay enlivens a scenario. Full of “traffic jam cars,” “honking horns and changing lanes,” the rhyming couplets bounce off the page, and small pictorial details continue this playful gesture. Yo-yos and crayons blend in with trees and shrubs, as A-B-C building blocks stack up beside buildings. The final image zeroes in on a young child clutching a car in bed, ending the call on a quiet note.
All in all, it’s an infinite loop of automotive joys interwoven with a rather charming narrative. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4926-1881-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Nov. 24, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2015
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
A solid companion to Rinker and Lichtenheld’s Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site (2011). (Picture book. 3-6)
“Through the darkness, clickety-clack... / coming closer, down the track...”
The night train is arriving; it carries an unusual cargo and an even more surprising crew. Darkly lit pastel illustrations reveal monkeys, kangaroos, an elephant and various other animals, all of whom are ready to load freight appropriate to their eating habits, anatomy or abilities into a variety of different, named railroad cars. Rhymed text full of onomatopoeia describes the monkeys packing bananas, monkey bars, hula hoops and a sock monkey into the boxcar. Kangaroos toss balls into the hopper, and elephants squirt different-colored paints into tankers. Whimsical, dreamlike imagery continues as a polar bear loads a giant ice-cream sundae onto the freezer car, while the tortoises drive race cars onto an autorack. While it’s not a strikingly original selection, a feeling of warmth and an old-fashioned nursery aura both abound here. Train and animal enthusiasts alike will enjoy the gentle action and may just drift off as the train fills up and the animals go to sleep, safely tucked in on flatbed cars that hold…beds. “Steam train, dream train... / chhhhhh...goodnight.”
A solid companion to Rinker and Lichtenheld’s Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site (2011). (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 16, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4521-0920-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 26, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2013
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