HOW TO WALK A DUMP TRUCK

The care and feeding of ravenously hungry trucks.

The team behind How to Eat an Airplane (2016) returns with a slightly less ridiculous, yet still highly whackadoodle, tale of pet ownership. “Everyone knows that dump trucks make the best pets. However, adopting a dump truck is a big responsibility.” Certainly owning a pet truck isn’t just something you jump into. After finding the right one you’ll need to feed it, get it licensed, walk it, and keep it in line. Illustrating the second-person text, an enthusiastic child takes the truck to exercise at the local construction site and cleans up after it, even when it, er, dumps. Not a single step in pet-truck ownership is skimped, whether it’s bathtime or bedtime. There’s even a highly informative (and lengthy) fact-filled quiz at the end in which kids can try to determine if the questionnaire is discussing a dog or a dump truck. The book bears many similarities to Jason Carter Eaton and John Rocco’s How to Track a Truck (2016) as a how-to on truck ownership, but the unusual, Terry Gilliam–esque art stands out. Digitally collaged illustrations present a mixed-media look and feel. Humans in the story present an array of different skin tones, with the protagonist presenting white.

A book that runs like a well-oiled machine; expect a load of love from both truck fanatics and pet owners.