Dump Truck Duck

March 1, 2016
Bouncy rhythms and catchy rhymes will entrance truck-loving tots as they listen to this tale of truck ducks doing their jobs. Dump Truck Duck is the first to arrive at the site, and his job is to clear the debris: "He fills the truck up to the top / with gravel, grass, and gritty glop; / with brambly brush and slimy stuff. / The truck can take it. The truck is tough." Dozer Duck and Digger Duck soon join him to help load the dump truck and level the site. Finally, the builder ducks and gardener ducks arrive to do their jobs, and by the final spreads, a new park has been built, complete with gazebo, walking trails, sod, and a playground, all with a creek nearby, which the dirty ducks take advantage of after a hard day's work. Then it's buckle up and drive off under the stars. Bryant's rollicking verse carries readers right along with it, and the rhymes are easy to predict, making this one preschoolers can chime in on. De Ruiter's ducks (a diverse sort of many colors and patterns, and, if eyelash codes are accurate, fairly evenly divided between male and female) and their marvelous trucks take center stage, and some of the early illustrations of the messy site may even spark discussions about litter and pollution. A fine addition to the truck shelf. (Picture book. 2-6)

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May 1, 2016

Toddler-PreS-Dump Truck Duck is in for a busy day. He is the first one at the work site as the sun comes up. "He fills his truck up to the top/with gravel, grass, and gritty glop;/with brambly brush and slimy stuff./The truck can take it. The truck is tough." He is soon joined by a dozer and a digger, and they work to clear land. Dump Truck Duck spends his day hauling loads away. Even when his truck breaks down and needs some repairs, he is not stopped. Finally, the work site is turned over to builders and gardeners, who finish a beautiful park for all to enjoy. This is a pretty standard construction story, starting with a dirty lot and ending with a playground. The text scans well, and the cute cartoon illustrations show lots of working trucks.

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