Captures the excitement of anticipation, the thrill of yearning realized, and truck love among the young.
Each Monday, Mabel prepares for “the best thing in the world.”
Why is Mabel dragging her chair outside to the top of the driveway, where she sits and waits with a bowl of cereal? Older sister Mira thinks Mabel’s Monday morning routine is “the most boring thing.” Mom thinks it’s the “cutest,” Dad the “funniest.” Awan builds suspense and drama as brown-skinned Mabel moves through the house. At last, the garbage truck pulls up to the curb, and Mabel’s filled with excitement as she watches the sanitation workers do their thing. Neon colors pop in the illustrations; in one scene, Mabel’s double puffs and off-kilter chair loom larger than life in the shadows they cast behind her. Diagonal lines add interest, as when Dad’s massive arm reaches up across the gutter to open the door for his daughter, coffee splashing from the cup in his other hand. Action lines, alliteration, capital letters, and sound effects help readers understand why the massive machine rumbling to the curb is so special: “Liiiiift.” “Wheeeeeeeee.” “Gah-dump.” “TRASH TUMBLES INTO THE TRUCK!” The spectacle is a young child’s delight, and it’s refreshing to see a vehicle-related book starring a girl of color. Unbeknownst to Mabel, she isn’t the only one who waits for the garbage truck. Turning to the final page, viewers see several neighbors of various skin tones at their windows.
Captures the excitement of anticipation, the thrill of yearning realized, and truck love among the young. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2025
ISBN: 9781665938150
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2024
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own...
The sturdy Little Blue Truck is back for his third adventure, this time delivering Christmas trees to his band of animal pals.
The truck is decked out for the season with a Christmas wreath that suggests a nose between headlights acting as eyeballs. Little Blue loads up with trees at Toad’s Trees, where five trees are marked with numbered tags. These five trees are counted and arithmetically manipulated in various ways throughout the rhyming story as they are dropped off one by one to Little Blue’s friends. The final tree is reserved for the truck’s own use at his garage home, where he is welcomed back by the tree salestoad in a neatly circular fashion. The last tree is already decorated, and Little Blue gets a surprise along with readers, as tiny lights embedded in the illustrations sparkle for a few seconds when the last page is turned. Though it’s a gimmick, it’s a pleasant surprise, and it fits with the retro atmosphere of the snowy country scenes. The short, rhyming text is accented with colored highlights, red for the animal sounds and bright green for the numerical words in the Christmas-tree countdown.
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own tree that will put a twinkle in a toddler’s eyes. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-544-32041-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
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BOOK REVIEW
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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