A stirring defense of a child’s right to like—and read—what they like.
A boy’s love of tractors knows no bounds.
Little, bespectacled Frankie McGee proudly informs readers in rhyming verse that instead of the park, Frankie and Mom are bound for the library, which is presided over by blue-haired Miss Squid. To Mom’s chagrin, Frankie has eyes only for yet another tractor book, and her child is only too happy to enumerate their charms. As Frankie does, Løvlie presents drivers in a diverse range of races and genders, all gunning their tractors through mud or up steep hills. When Mom tries diverting Frankie’s attention to alternative modes of transportation, Frankie is uninterested. Her protestations are quashed by Miss Squid, who assures Frankie, “Well, you know yourself best. / When you want something different, just come and find me. / A kid who likes books is a nice thing to see.” As Frankie tells Mom, “I like books—that’s what matters. Not what they’re about.” Caregivers of similarly tunnel-visioned offspring will identify closely with Mom’s objections to more of the same, and those children will be happy to receive Miss Squid’s support. For fellow tractor lovers, Frankie’s systematic explanation of everything from their interchangeable parts to their brands will legitimize their love. Løvlie’s art exemplifies a halcyon world of tractors coupled with an idyllic children’s library filled with nooks, bright light, and a loving librarian. Characters present White. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9.5-by-19-inch double-page spreads viewed at 33.5% of actual size.)
A stirring defense of a child’s right to like—and read—what they like. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-301918-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2021
A sweet reminder that it’s easy to weather a storm with the company and kindness of friends.
Is it a stormy-night scare or a bedtime book? Both!
Little Blue Truck and his good friend Toad are heading home when a storm lets loose. Before long, their familiar, now very nervous barnyard friends (Goat, Hen, Goose, Cow, Duck, and Pig) squeeze into the garage. Blue explains that “clouds bump and tumble in the sky, / but here inside we’re warm and dry, / and all the thirsty plants below / will get a drink to help them grow!” The friends begin to relax. “Duck said, loud as he could quack it, / ‘THUNDER’S JUST A NOISY RACKET!’ ” In the quiet after the storm, the barnyard friends are sleepy, but the garage is not their home. “ ‘Beep!’ said Blue. ‘Just hop inside. / All aboard for the bedtime ride!’ ” Young readers will settle down for their own bedtimes as Blue and Toad drop each friend at home and bid them a good night before returning to the garage and their own beds. “Blue gave one small sleepy ‘Beep.’ / Then Little Blue Truck fell fast asleep.” Joseph’s rich nighttime-blue illustrations (done “in the style of [series co-creator] Jill McElmurry”) highlight the power of the storm and capture the still serenity that follows. Little Blue Truck has been chugging along since 2008, but there seems to be plenty of gas left in the tank.
A sweet reminder that it’s easy to weather a storm with the company and kindness of friends. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-328-85213-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
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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
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