Truck Stuck

February 1, 2008
PreS-Gr 1-A red 18-wheeler gets stuck under a viaduct and causes a huge traffic jam. Nearby, two children who have a lemonade stand observe the incident and try to keep everyone cool by selling their wares. The police arrive and so does a tow truck, but it is too small. The traffic jam gets worse and tempers flare. The hubbub attracts news crews who interview the truck driver, and a clown hands out balloons. Eventually, a huge tow truck arrives and, after the air has been let out of the semi's tires, the road is cleared for traffic to resume just in time, because the children are out of lemonade. The bright, flat, cartoon art brings the minimal rhyming text to life and really tells the story. "Traffic cops. Whistles blow." The illustration shows the children pouring lemonade, car horns blowing, a driver losing his temper, a dog barking, police directing traffic, and a tow truck backing up. This is an excellent choice to share with youngsters, who can observe the action and name all the objects and the activities. It can also be "picture read," giving children practice in their narrative skills."Linda Staskus, Parma Regional Library, OH"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2008
In a suburban community a young boy and girl set up a lemonade stand in their front yard. When a big, red rig gets stuck under a train trestle nearby, business improves. A variety of child-pleasing vehiclesline up behind the stuck truck, and all sorts of people (a clown, Boy Scouts, an Elvis impersonator, etc.) emerge and purchaselemonade from the two entrepreneurs. Brightly colored, naive-style pen-and-ink illustrations with some digitalelements perfectly complement the simple, rhyming text (the tone having been set by the title). When two tow trucks fail torelease the truck, the little girl suggests a wonderful solution. Children will appreciate the fact thata child is the hero here, and theyll probably figure out the solution for themselves, long before its given in the story.Just right forchildren who have graduated from Byron Bartons books.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)