Truck Duck

January 1, 2004
Animals take to the road, sea and sky in Truck Duck, the latest vehicular volume (My Race Car; My Fire Engine) by Michael Rex. Animals take their favorite modes of transport-namely, those that rhyme with their own names. The slightly menacing Cab Crab and notably confident Tug Bug are priceless.

January 1, 2004
PreS-Rex's bright, engaging style suits this simple concept book. Each spread shows an animal in some form of transportation, from the clever ("Rig Pig" and "Blimp Chimp") to the less obvious (a "Hog Frog" is a green frog on a Harley-Davidson). The straightforward pictures are clear and detailed, showing the clean lines of a taxi ("Cab Crab") and even the gearshift on the tractor ("Plow Cow"). The animals have a serious yet comic look, confidently enjoying themselves on all these wonderful machines. The very brief text lends itself to rhyming wordplay, an important skill for preschool learners. Bruce McMillan's Play Day: A Book of Terse Verse (Holiday, 1991; o.p.) set the standard for books with short rhyming phrases. This is a worthy addition to the genre, and will please the little guys and gals who love things that roll, float, and fly.-Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL

Copyright 2003 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2004
PreS. Wheels, animals, and very simple rhyming words are a winning combination in these vividly colored pages that show small creatures driving huge, powerful vehicles. From "Moose Caboose" to "Rig Pig" and "Jeep Sheep," this is the stuff of toddlers' play, with vrooming action and small characters in charge. The sounds of the words add to the fun, and to little ones' vocabularies. The vehicles are big, bright, and clear, and some pictures include details of mechanical gears and levers and engines. Grown-ups will enjoy the wry cartoon edge in "Cab Crab," but for preschoolers, this is exciting read-aloud stuff about the street outside and the play on the floor at home.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)