Review by Booklist Review
In simple rhymes that accompany big, boldly hued illustrations of kids operating heavy machinery, this appealing introduction to powerful tools will draw in a significant demographic. Some of the rhymes are less inspired than others ( I'm a CEMENT TRUCK driver / Rumble tumble, tumble rumble. / Wet cement in the mixer. / Tumble rumble, rumble tumble ),but in combination with the pictures, the spreads do offer the goods: the sounds of the trucks, what they do, and where they do it. Parkins' acrylic paintings feature anthropomorphized trucks that look like they have faces usually in the front, with headlights for eyes (though the backward-facing garbage truck shows off his big jaws full of trash bags). Each truck is driven by a delighted child, and each illustration includes either a white dog or a striped cat in some sort of comical role. There's no story here, just a progression of trucks, but for the right audience, these trucks carry their own drama.--Nolan, Abby Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
London (the Froggy series) and Parkins (Aunt Nancy and the Bothersome Visitors) leap right into fantasy with this catalogue of best-loved big rigs. "I'm a POWER SHOVEL operator," declares a girl, who takes turns narrating and sitting behind various vehicles with a male counterpart. "I dig up the land./ I operate the gears/ and scoop up the sand." Parkins sets his action at night or against dark-hued cobalt skies, a striking dramatic element not usually found in this genre. A hapless cat and dog contribute visual slapstick (getting stuck in cement pouring from a mixer or nervously peering down from an I-beam suspended from a crane). This duo clearly knows what their audience likes: chunky, rounded shapes (fans of Disney's Cars will recognize the style immediately), simple but accurate detailing, plenty of onomatopoeia, and just enough anthropomorphism to make it clear that these trucks revel in collaborating with humans-in a standout fire truck scene, the vehicle's headlamp eyes squint with a determination that echoes that of the boy and cat in its cab. Ages 3-7. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-This is a wonderful picture book about trucks, from power shovels to street sweepers and more. On every other spread, a girl and a boy take turns driving each of the vehicles. The trucks are described in rhyming couplets; those that the boy operates feature onomatopoeia, making this book a must for storytimes and read-alouds. "I'm a BULLDOZER operator./Growl, grumble, broom!/I'm a big earth mover./Growl, grumble, broom!" The alternating voices of the children help to enhance the rhythm and rhyme of the story and present a great opportunity for a reader's theater or dual-storyteller presentation. The acrylic illustrations are vibrant, cartoonlike, and friendly. In addition, the girl's pages feature a cat and the boy's, a dog. Children will quickly pick up on this pattern, and they will search out the animals. With expressive faces on the trucks, the pictures will draw young audiences into the story, reminding them of Jon Scieszka's Truck Town (S & S, 2008).-Lora Van Marel, Orland Park Public Library, IL (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
I'm a combine operator. / I harvest the grain. / I go row upon row / in sunshine or rain." On twelve double-page spreads, a four-line rhyme accompanies a vivid acrylic painting of a friendly-looking truck (with a kid behind the wheel). The text features lots of sounds and action words (e.g., "scoop," "crash," "smash"), infusing more energy into the pictures. Copyright 2010 of The Horn Book, Inc. 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
A dream-come-true for lovers of construction trucks and big machinery. On alternating spreads, a young boy and his dog and a young girl with her cat imagine themselves to be truck drivers. The girl's verses focus on the jobs of the trucks: "I'm a steamroller driver. / I flatten the tar. / I crush rocks and smooth / new roads for a car." The boy's text deals more with the sounds of the vehicles: "I'm a garbage truck driver. / Screech, thump, grind, bump! / My truck gobbles garbage. / Screech, bump, grind, thump!" Parkins's bright acrylics make this a necessary purchase. Truck fans will love the anthropomorphized trucks, each with its own clever face and personality. The amusing antics of the dog and cat, as well as their rather bad luck, provide comic relief. Well-suited to read-alouds that encourage participation, this is sure to come as a breath of fresh air to adults accustomed to the usual construction-truck fare. (Picture book. 3-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
