Truck Stop

April 15, 2013
A day in the life of a truck stop as told by its youngest worker, whose love for the place is very clear. A little boy and his parents start out before the sun is up to go to work at their busy truck stop beside the highway. The routine of their day will soothe readers: They prep the food, Uncle Marty opens the garage, and they wait for the regulars to make an appearance. "I love how they come rumbling their wheels, / and with air brakes whooshing." Sam and Eighteen-Wheeler are first. Uncle Marty checks tires while Mom puts in Sam's usual order. It's coffee and doughnuts for Maisie, who drives Milk Tank. Then come Diligent Dan's Moving Van and Digger riding on Flatbed. But where is Green Gus, the old pickup? Once Pete and Priscilla arrive in their Tow Truck, it's time for the boy to board Big Yellow Bus. Along the way, he spies Green Gus. Pete and Priscilla come to the rescue, and Uncle Marty gets to work. The trucks and drivers go their separate ways, but only until tomorrow. Iwai's mixed-media collage illustrations invite readers into the scenes with their bright colors and interesting textures. While a truck stop is a business, the text and artwork together spin a web around the boy and his family that make it seem quite homey, complete with good friends and good food. For truck lovers everywhere. (Picture book. 2-6)

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June 1, 2013

PreS-K-A boy describes a morning at his family's truck stop. He and his parents get up early and prepare for customers who have breakfast at the diner. Uncle Marty turns on the lights in the garage. All the regulars start arriving, including Maisie, who drives a milk tank, and Dan, who drives a moving van. Everyone has a "usual" order, like sausage and pancakes with lots of syrup. But the man who drives a green pickup is missing, and no one has seen him. Soon the Big Yellow Bus comes by and, on the way to school, the narrator spots Green Gus by the side of the road. The boy asks the bus driver to call the truck stop, and he knows that Pete and Priscilla's Tow Truck will come by, that Uncle Marty will fix the problem, and that the driver will have bacon and eggs sunny side up. Tomorrow the morning routine will play out all over again. The simple text and mixed-media illustrations tell the story well, and the endpapers display 16 different kinds of vehicles.This book will be a hit with youngsters who love trucks.-Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI

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