With Any Luck I'll Drive a Truck

April 4, 2016
Friend, an editor at Vanity Fair, debuts with a cheeky poem of a picture book, in which a boy proudly describes his prowess as he helms several trucks, trailers, and construction vehicles. Humorously colloquial rhymes are well-matched to the mischief on display as the boy—accompanied by a turtle, penguin, and pig—engages in construction and demolition, occasionally saving the day: “I also worked a fireman’s truck—/ and, sure enough, a cat got stuck!/ The kids were sad and I was sadder.../ until I saved her with a ladder.” Rex’s (Goodnight Goon) digitally colored ink cartoons are full of vehicular action and mechanical details, from the dirt-caked treads of a wrecking ball to the gleam of an 18-wheeler’s mesh grille, cast by the truck’s headlights. As the boy ages, his skills grow (“At 6, if you would like to know,/ I spent the winter plowing snow”), and while the story ends in familiar territory (the boy’s bedroom is involved), readers caught up in the fun may still be caught by surprise. Ages 3–5. Illustrator’s agent: Ronnie Ann Herman, Herman Agency.

April 1, 2016
A delightful ode to trucks goes above and beyond the usual churning, wrecking, and pounding. Cheery rhyming text declares from the first page, "At 2, when I could reach the seat, / I taught myself to make concrete." And we're off! Accompanied by a pig, turtle, and penguin, a small, hard-hatted white child recounts driving just about every truck, machine, and tractor imaginable. From backhoes to snowplows, the child and faithful animal crew are in every cab or assisting on the ground. All the favorites are here (bulldozer, dump truck, 18-wheeler, etc.), with some mechanical monsters lauded less often in books of this sort (hay baler, combine harvester, earthmover, etc.). By the end, the trucks are revealed to be mere toys, but a flash-forward to the future shows, "When I grow up...you know wassup. / With any luck, I'll drive a truck." Friend's rhymes produce a one-of-a-kind mighty litany of machines. These words pair neatly with Rex's art; his cartoonish style renders each vehicle with a meticulousness that will meet the approval of even the strictest vehicle enthusiast. Lucky indeed are the kids who get to indulge in this splendid little wish-fulfillment daydream. (Picture book. 2-5)

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May 15, 2016
Preschool-K A seven-year-old boy reminisces about learning to run a variety of trucks. As a two-year-old, he taught himself to operate a concrete mixer. At three, he mastered the backhoe and a fireman's truck. At four, he could run a construction crane. At five, he could drive an 18-wheeler, a moving van, an earth mover, a paver, a forklift, a farm combine, and more. In the main illustrations, this capable kid appears to be operating full-size equipment. But, near the story's end, the scale shifts and a scene shows him in his bedroom, where the floor is littered with toy trucks. Indeed, he hopes to drive a truck someday, after he grows up. The rhythmic, rhyming text has just enough detail to keep kids engaged without slowing down the pace. Drawn in ink and digitally colored, the illustrations feature the boy, his dressed-animal helpers, and his powerful trucks and other equipment. This colorful picture book is prime material for kids yearning to tackle tough jobs with a little help from big machines.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)