Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Novesky and Gillingham follow Love Is a Tutu with a lighthearted, vehicle-centric reflection on love. Some of the analogies in Novesky's mostly unrhymed verse work better than others: the idea that "Love is a loader. Love is a lifter" in one constructed-themed scene has real resonance, compared to lines that just name-check vehicles ("Love is a dump truck, rounded with dirt./ A bulldozer, a digger, a rolling cement mixer"). Gillingham's clean graphics showcase one child's very evident love of toy trucks; the brown-skinned, overalls-clad child's gender isn't apparent, a reminder that truck love is universal. Ages 2-6. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Toddler-PreS-Fire trucks usually get all the love, but in this book, there is an abundance of love for trucks of all types and sizes. With everything from dump trucks to ice-cream trucks to cement trucks, this honey of a title conveys the simple joy of creative play. An adorable brown-skinned tot with cross-hatched red cheeks is all smiles and giggles as he (or she) plays from morning to night with dozens of vehicles. While the text is simple and sweet without being cloying, the real star of the show is the vintage-looking, geometric two-color illustrations, done in shades of red and black with touches of warm grays and white. The thick pages make this a delight to hold for multiple readings either one-on-one in a lap or in a baby program at the library. VERDICT This enchanting board book is a first purchase to use in both circulating and story collections.-Lisa G. Kropp, Lindenhurst Memorial Library, NY © Copyright 2017. 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 Kirkus Book Review
Richly textured board pages and a limited color palette distinguish this tribute to trucks. The gray buckram cover is a delight to hold, while bright red endpapers promise excitement within. Beautifully designed using shades of red, black, white, and brown on matte pages, the whole package has a retro, letterpress feel. The first truck is a firetruck big enough for a brown-skinned child to straddle. Later pages feature construction vehicles, a flatbed trailer, and an ice cream truck. The slight text has a lyrical quality, though the occasional rhymes seem accidental. Relatively abstract concepts are casually introduced, "Love is a kid who lines them all up. Biggest to smallest, color by color." On the final page the brown-skinned child is kissed goodnight while clutching a truck under a road-patterned blanket. The main character wears plaid bib overalls and has longish curly hair. Another child, also brown-skinned, with close-cropped hair, plays with the construction trucks, shares a treat from the ice cream truck, and offers a goodnight kiss. Unfortunately, a less gender-neutral companion volume, Love Is a Tutu, clearly aims for the ballerina market with an excess of pink. Together the two books assure little girls they can love both tutus and trucks. Unfortunately, they send a mixed message to little boys. Truck lovers of any gender will find this title a treat, but the hyperfeminine companion is sadly restrictive. (Board book. 2-4) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
