Review by Booklist Review
The irresistible, growling garbage-truck star of the McMullens' I Stink! (2002) collected legions of small fans. This follow-up's narrator, a swaggering, dirt-loving backhoe loader, is just as likable. The books' formats are similar. Stink weaves an alphabet game into the text; here, there is a counting exercise as the backhoe loader lists the piles of clutter it moves, from 10 torn-up truck tires to 7 loused-up lawn chairs, while clearing a vacant lot. As in the previous title, the high-octane, boasting voice and energetic, bold-lined illustrations transform the machine into a loud-mouthed, fully anthropomorphized character that will instantly captivate kids. The short, choppy phrases, filled with sound, are just right for jolly, raucous read-alouds: Ugh! Arrrrrrrgh! Mmmmmmmmmph! Tim-berrrrrrrr! Pint-size gear-heads will love the spreads showing the backhoe loader using all of his features, from front claw to back wheels, and most kids will find plenty of vicarious fun in the grinning, powerful monster machine that creates and conquers chaos and loves a good mud bath. --Gillian Engberg Copyright 2006 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
As they did in I Stink! and I'm Mighty!, these creative collaborators introduce a spunky anthropomorphic character in this case a backhoe loader who relishes his dirty work. "Who's got a boom, a dipper stick, and a bucket with a row of chompers? Me! And that's just my rear end," he announces proudly. After a flatbed truck carries him to a lot filled with discarded items, the backhoe digs in with gusto, providing an alliterative countdown as he cleans up 10 torn-up truck tires, nine fractured fans, eight busted beach umbrellas, etc. "Hope ya like noise," he says gleefully, as he drops his load in a dumpster, creating quite a din ("Clank! Bang! Bong! Clunk!"). The cheerful, chatty fellow then uproots a tree stump ("Aw Stumpie loosen up") and fills in the hole, a job he deems a "piece of cake. Make that a mud cake with dirt sprinkles and a scoop of Rocky Road." After taking a mud bath and flattening out the lot, the machine, much to his delight, is dirty indeed. Energetic illustrations capture these mucky goings-on with a large dollop of humor, as type of varying sizes cavorts playfully across the pages. Abundant sound effects make this a high-spirited read-aloud. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-With a style familiar to fans of I'm Mighty! (2003) and I Stink! (2002, both HarperCollins), McMullan introduces a sassy backhoe loader who relishes his dirty job. He brags about his equipment and then heads to work, where he cleans up an abandoned lot. "Cleaning up this mess? Easy as pie. Make that a MUD pie." Counting down from 10 to 1, the backhoe removes the alliterative trash: "4 cat-clawed couches," "3 scuffed-up signs," "2 tossed-out toilet seats," "1 wonky washing machine." Then, he pulls out a tree stump, takes a mud bath, and back-drags his bucket over the dirt. Throughout the story, the machine becomes progressively dirtier, with a repeating motif of mud. The text flies about the pages, changing size, shape, and orientation. With its saucy tone and dynamic color cartoon illustrations, this picture book exudes energy.-Suzanne Myers Harold, Multnomah County Library System, Portland, OR (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Preschool, Primary) Though the smiling backhoe loader here may not have quite the brawn or bite of the garbage truck in the McMullans' essential machine-with-attitude story I Stink! (rev. 5/02), he nonetheless sinks his jagged yellow teeth into the job of cleaning up a trash-filled lot. Preening for his audience, he names all his front and back parts and then travels via flatbed truck to the work site, where colorful piles of junk are hauled away in numerical order (""10 torn-up truck tires, 9 fractured fans, 8 busted beach umbrellas...""). The art's heavy black outlines and robust palette befit a character who isn't shy about announcing his presence, e.g., ""Hope ya like Noise. CLANK! Rattle! BANG! Bing! BANG! BONG! BONG! Clunk!"" His last order of business is to pull up a stubborn tree stump and fill in the resulting hole, with a pause for a much-enjoyed mud bath. Digging and playing in the mud: with a job description like that, it's no wonder this giant hunk of metal just seems like an oversized kid. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
From the creators of I Stink! (2002) and I'm Mighty! (2003) comes Backhoe Loader, a construction vehicle that is ready for business. Its backside contains a boom, a dipper stick, a bucket and some pretty sharp teeth, and its front features steel arms, hydraulic rams and a giant ladder bucket. Initially spotless, Backhoe Loader is transported to his destination via flatbed truck and quickly gets to work cleaning up a junkyard. After all the tires, bicycles, couches, toilet seats and even a washing machine are collected and placed in a dumpster, it's time to get really dirty. Backhoe Loader pulls up a tree stump, takes a mud bath, fills in a hole, and smoothes it all out. Now the lot is sparkling clean, and Backhoe Loader is anything but. Readers will delight in the jaunty backhoe and appreciate his gruff silliness. Full of kid appeal, this is sure to be a favorite with reluctant readers, those who revel in mud and all who love trucks. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
