WHOSE TRUCK?
From the Whose Tools? series
by Toni Buzzeo ; illustrated by Jim Datz
This follow-up to Whose Tools? (2015) asks kids to guess which workers six different trucks belong to.
The left-hand side of each double-page spread poses a riddle: “A fire burns hot. / Cool waters flow. / Whose truck is this? / Do you know?” The right-hand pages depict the featured trucks with multiple parts labeled; in this case, readers see a fire truck with labels for the suction hose, deluge gun, siren, hydrant intake, and loudspeaker. Each of these right-hand pages is also a fold-out flap that, when turned, reveals another large image of the truck, this time with its operators—here firefighters—and a short statement about what they do: “We aim water from the hydrants.” The design is appealing and facilitates use with multiple age groups. Caregivers can choose to introduce some new vocabulary by reviewing the labeled elements of each truck, or they can keep it simple and skip these, focusing on the trucks and their operators instead. The crisp, colorful illustrations feature a diverse cast of characters and include line workers, firefighters, highway maintenance workers, EMTs, crane operators, and a broadcast crew.
Interactive and educational, this one is a must for toddlers and preschoolers fascinated by trucks and the people who operate them.
(Board book. 2-5)