Little Blue Truck's Springtime

November 27, 2017
Schertle and the late McElmurry’s lightly anthropomorphic blue truck returns for a joyful springtime lift-the-flap outing. As the Little Blue Truck travels through an idyllic farm landscape, readers can look beneath large flaps to discover newborn animals underneath (“Who’s out swimming in a line?/ Yoo-hoo, Duck and ducklings nine!”). The cheerful scenes offer plenty of opportunities for animal identification and counting (Sheep has just given birth to twins, 10 piglets share a muddy sty with Mama Pig), and a closing scene brings together all the little ones for a festive finale that sees them decked out in floral garlands. Up to age 3.

February 1, 2018

PreS-K-Little Blue Truck and his friend Toad take a drive on a pretty spring day and they encounter an array of animals on their way. The illustrations are done in a folk-art style. Pastel pink and purple colors and the presence of flowers throughout add to the book's cheerful seasonal look. The artwork successfully captures the progression through the addition of animal passengers as the trip develops and a series of flaps that can be lifted to reveal an assortment of hidden baby animals. The narrative has a simple and effective rhyme scheme and pairs with the illustrations seamlessly. VERDICT A great choice for encouraging young children to learn to identify animals and reinforce counting skills. This book is a fun read to celebrate the spring season.-Deanna Smith, formerly at Mamaroneck Public Library, NY

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2018
Little Blue Truck and his pal Toad meet friends old and new on a springtime drive through the country.This lift-the-flap, interactive entry in the popular Little Blue Truck series lacks the narrative strength and valuable life lessons of the original Little Blue Truck (2008) and its sequel, Little Blue Truck Leads the Way (2009). Both of those books, published for preschoolers rather than toddlers, featured rich storylines, dramatic, kinetic illustrations, and simple but valuable life lessons--the folly of taking oneself too seriously, the importance of friends, and the virtue of taking turns, for example. At about half the length and with half as much text as the aforementioned titles, this volume is a much quicker read. Less a story than a vernal celebration, the book depicts a bucolic drive through farmland and encounters with various animals and their young along the way. Beautifully rendered two-page tableaux teem with butterflies, blossoms, and vibrant pastel, springtime colors. Little Blue greets a sheep standing in the door of a barn: "Yoo-hoo, Sheep! / Beep-beep! / What's new?" Folding back the durable, card-stock flap reveals the barn's interior and an adorable set of twin lambs. Encounters with a duck and nine ducklings, a cow with a calf, a pig with 10 (!) piglets, a family of bunnies, and a chicken with a freshly hatched chick provide ample opportunity for counting and vocabulary work.Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come. (Board book. 1-4)

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.