Food Truck Fest!

February 15, 2018
Vivid details highlight the workers and dining fans who make up a local food-truck festival scene.For it all to happen, the food-truck owners must gather, prepare, cook, and transport it all, which turns out to be a lot more work than kids might expect. That work is presented in clear explanations that demystify what's behind those serving windows. "They're kitchens on wheels, without the frills," it's explained, and similarly, the book's text is stripped down into simple rhyming couplets. The story of how the trucks get to the fest is shown in parallel to a family's preparations to attend. Though it seems meant to build anticipation and give the child's view on things, the family members aren't named and do little more than rush. But that doesn't matter because the illustrations and knowledgeable text keep the attention focused on the variety of the trucks and the work done by the people who run them. By the time readers get to the fest, with trucks with names such as "Pho Sho" and "Slow Your Roll" (eggrolls, of course), it's obvious that food blogger Penfold's knowledge is coming through. The illustrations pack in a big, wide range of people, from customers to chefs to musicians, convincingly creating a vibrant community brought together by the variety of things they love to eat. (The focal family is pale-skinned.)Will very likely make young readers yearn for a big foodie event like the one depicted. (Picture book. 4-7)

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January 8, 2018
“Some trucks have ovens, others have grills./ They’re kitchens on wheels, without the frills,” writes Penfold (The Littlest Viking) as food trucks gather on an island for a festival. After caravanning to their destination, the trucks set up shop, offering traditional fare (“Folks settle down with their hot dogs and ices,/ burritos, kebabs, pretzels, and slices”) as well as offerings for diehard foodies (“Kimchi tacos, that’s no illusion./ Korean and Mexican make a tasty fusion”). And nobody minds the long lines because there are plenty of free samples. The story ostensibly follows one family’s journey to the fair, but within a few pages the panoply of eccentrically styled trucks (including one named “Pho Sho” and a fish taco truck with a surfboard on top), their hipster crews, and the multicultural, multigenerational crowd become the real stars. Dutton’s high-spirited illustrations capture the expansive exuberance of a collective day out, and his crafty, cut-out aesthetic feels right on the mark for this down-to-earth, artisanal cuisine and its scrappy, hardworking purveyors. Ages 2–6. Author’s agent: Susan Ginsburg, Writers House. Illustrator’s agent: Marietta Zacker, Gallt & Zacker Literary.

March 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 1- An excited young family of four is getting ready for the big day as the food truck crews are busy preparing, cleaning, mixing, mincing, slicing, and baking. This bouncing story in rhyme has the catchy refrain, "Let's get moving, no time to rest. Everybody's going to the food truck fest!" The few obstacles that stand in the family's way of arriving on time allow readers to admire the crafty, detail-rich single- and double-page artwork. Dutton's digitally enhanced gouache illustrations are intricate and inviting, and they beautifully match the upbeat, playful narrative. The festival attendees and truck vendors display a refreshingly diverse range of ethnicity, race, size, shape, and age. The result is a cheerful cacophony of excitement and activity. VERDICT Pair with Mark Todd's Food Trucks! or Peter Stein's Trucks Galore for a lively, attention-grabbing storytime. Recommended for picture book shelves.-Brianne Colombo, Fairfield Free Public Library, NJ

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