MINI MIGHTY SWEEPS

Watch what this little green machine can do!

Sweeps, a compact green sidewalk sweeper, wants to prove her mettle, but her small stature frequently means she’s dismissed with a “Big jobs are for big trucks” by the bigger guys. As the week progresses, Sweeps tries to join in on cleaning jobs, but the larger vehicles beat her to it. So Sweeps tries her spinning bristles at towing cars and making a siren noise, but she’s not equipped to handle these jobs. On Friday, Sweeps’ mounting failures lead to depression, and she decides to stay inside the garage, but the other trucks get caught in a “floody, muddy mess” caused by a storm. Thankfully, Sweeps is there to get the big guys cleaned up and back on the road. Readers will appreciate Sweeps’ can-do attitude and perseverance even though the plot doesn’t always make sense. (Even if an excavator can get stuck in the mud, can a street cleaner really save the day?) The digital illustrations do a lot to distract from the nonlogic of the situation, and young readers who love trucks will be enchanted to see a sidewalk sweeper get a starring role. Mike Mulligan and Katy don’t have anything to worry about just yet, but Sweeps makes a charming addition to the genre of vehicles-as-characters. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An entertaining underdog tale.