trucks

Take a Ride in These 3 New Picture Books

| Tasha

Diggers, Dozers & Dumpers: Small Stories about Big Machines by Ole Könnecke, translated by Melody Shaw

Publisher: Gecko Press

Publication Date: May 6, 2025

Reviewed from library copy

ISBN: 9798765667552

Opening this book, readers are greeted by a staring cow, a blue duck with a wand, and an alligator driving a dozer. In very short stories that cover just a few pages at most, readers are introduced to a different sort of large machine and the characters show how they can be used. The characters range from farm animals to giraffe to moose, each depicted in a merry and playful way. Best of all, this is a book about big machinery that can actually be shared aloud and enjoyed by kids who like the machines and those who aren’t entirely enamored. 

Whimsical and heavy machinery have never gone together better. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Mama Car by Lucy Catchpole, illustrated by Karen George

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: November 4, 2025

Reviewed from Edelweiss e-galley

ISBN: 9780316578035

A little girl has her own tricycle. Her father has a car. And her mother drives a wheelchair. The two of them go on expeditions together from the snuggly bed to the kitchen for snacks after making a list. They take the Mama Car together. The little girl helps a lot with moving toys, reaching things, and holding stuff. She also helps decorate Mama Car. When she has a little accident riding her tricycle, Mama Car is there to pick her up, keep her cozy and make her feel safe. 

Written by an author who uses a wheelchair, this story is based on what one of her daughters used to call her wheelchair. The book is a merry and loving look at a parent using a wheelchair and the adventures they have together that use the chair. I love that the story is entirely positive and told from the point of view of a small child who simply sees the chair as part of life and nothing to be worried about. The illustrations are friendly and large format, adding to the child appeal of the story. 

Wheel this one onto your library shelves. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Sleeper Train by Mick Jackson, illustrated by Baljinder Kaur

Publisher: Candlewick

Publication Date: July 15, 2025

Reviewed from library copy

ISBN: 9781536238983

A little girl goes on an overnight train with her parents. They have their own compartment, but she just can’t fall asleep easily. So she starts to think about all the various places she has slept before. There is her parents’ bed at home, a hotel near the sea, on a beach, in a tent, in the hospital, and staying over at her grandparents’ home. Soon she had fallen asleep on the train. In the morning, there was breakfast on the train and soon they arrived at their destination. 

This picture book shares a way of travel that many children may not have experienced themselves and makes it approachable. I enjoyed that it focused on the variety of places a child may have slept, inviting the reader to see their own experiences alongside the character’s. The illustrations show a Sikh family traveling the train in India. The pictures use spicy colors of saffron and chili with cool teals to create a vibrant experience.

An engaging trip on the train. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

3 Picture Books That Rumble and Roll

| Tasha

Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan (9781665938150)

Mabel has a Monday routine. Her family thinks she’s cute and funny, but she doesn’t care. First, she needs a chair. Then she pours herself dry cereal for breakfast, then it’s out to the driveway to watch and wait. Finally it’s here! The glorious garbage truck. It’s the best part of the day and everyone else missed it.

I could read this picture book again and again, it’s so joyous. Awan captures the pleasure of a routine, the amazement of large machinery and the focus of a small child with such a mix of humor and dignity. Let’s be honest, there aren’t many books out there where a truck-loving girl can see herself reflected. And lots of truck books don’t work well for reading aloud. This one does!

Perfect for a trashy story time. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Faith Takes the Train by Kesi Augustine, illustrated by Mokshini (9780063251342)

Faith and her mother are taking the train home from Grandma’s house. They take this train often. Faith is eating a peanut-butter-and-jelly-and honey sandwich. Then she sees their old neighbor Isaiah stand up and ask for some help or some food. Even though her heart pounds, Faith offers Isaiah the rest of her sandwich. Faith wonders if there’s a way to continue to help Isaiah and his family. Perhaps it’s one sandwich at a time.

The jaunty train ride turns into something more profound as one little girl reaches out and makes a difference. The writing is easy to read aloud and the illustrations share a diverse urban experience.

A great addition to any storytime about transportation or helping others. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by HarperCollins.

Midnight Motorbike by Maureen Shay Tajsar, illustrated by Ishita Jain (9780823456628)

When it is too hot to sleep, Amma takes her daughter for a ride on her motorbike. The two travel through Indian villages heading to the Bay of Bengal. The journey is one of many senses from the bright flowers to the smell of chai and dosas, to the sight of rice flour designs to fool the red ants. There is the smell of the jasmine flower garlands and the beauty of the fabrics in the silk shop. When they reach the bay, there is the huge moon waiting for them and the little girl falls asleep in the moonlight.

This is such an evocative book based on the author’s summers with her mother in rural South India. The story is a mixture of magical motorcycle ride that is dreamlike and connection with India’s sensory experiences of flowers, food and customs. The illustrations are just as lush as a hot night, filled with rich colors that weave a gorgeous nighttime journey.

Just the right bedtime story for hot summer nights. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Smashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman

| Tasha

Smashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman

Smashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino (9780062910370)

Join Mr. Gilly in his crane with a wrecking ball in this dynamic picture book. Mr. Gilly’s crane is slow moving, but it can do a lot. When he swings the wrecking ball and hits a wall, it goes “Smash! Smash! Smash!” When he hits it again it goes, “Crash! Crash! Crash!” The wall tumbles down. Is he done? No! On goes the demolition, the ball swinging, smashing and crashing. When it is finally finished, Mr. Gilly uses his bulldozer to clear up the mess he made. The new building starts going up as Mr. Gilly heads home to dinner and bed.

This is a picture book just right for toddlers who love trucks and machines. The text is jaunty and great fun to read aloud. It has plenty of rhyming repetition in the smash and crash as well as the repeating question of whether Mr. Gilly is done yet. Get the children you are reading to involved in the crash and smash with claps and stomps, and you have a great finishing book for a story time.

The art by Yaccarino is bold and simple, ensuring that this is great for reading to a crowd of children. The art has the same good humor and merriment as the text, offering a busy urban setting for demolition as well as a final view of a public library being built on the site.

Let this one crash your story time! Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by HarperCollins.

The Old Truck by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey

| Tasha

The Old Truck by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey

The Old Truck by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey (9781324005193)

This picture book celebrates the hard work on a farm, whether you are a human or a truck. The old truck worked hard on the farm hauling things. But it grew tired and unable to be fixed. So it rested near the barn, dreaming of being a boat, a blimp or even a space rover. It got older and older sitting there, weeds growing up around it. Until a new farmer, who had grown up on the farm, decided to try again to fix it. It took a lot of determination and trying, just like farming, but the old truck eventually came to life again, woke up and started working. 

Told in the simplest of phrases, this picture book is really about the illustrations. Done with over 250 handcrafted stamps, the illustrations have a wonderful retro look with modern colors. They show an African-American family on a small family farm, working hard. The little girl goes from being born all the way through to owning the farm herself and having a child of her own. The time process is slow and steady, marked by the growing of the weeds as well. 

Delightfully modern and retro, this picture book is very special. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Good Morning, Snowplow! by Deborah Bruss

| Tasha

Good Morning Snowplow by Deborah Bruss

Good Morning, Snowplow! by Deborah Bruss, illlustrated by Lou Rancher and Steve Johnson (9781338089493)

When the snow starts to fall, a snowplow driver and his dog head out into the night to clear the roads. They do safety checks and get the hopper filled with salt and sand. Then they are off into the dark to clear the snow from the roads. Giant drifts are formed as they plow past while branches grow heavy with snow. When a car goes by too fast and ends up in the ditch, the plow calls dispatch for a tow for them. At the railroad tracks, the plow driver also stops, stepping out of the cab of his truck into into the hush of the night. The train goes by, creating a cloud of white. The driver heads home just as others start to wake and falls asleep in bed as the sun rises.

Bruss captures the quiet beauty of a snowstorm as she tells about the night work of clearing the roads. She writes with a poetic touch, creating dramatic moments in the story like the train going past and the car skidding into the ditch, but also embracing the silent work of the plow and the hush of the storm.

The illustrations are wonderful, offering looks at the big truck that will appeal to youngsters who love heavy machinery but also beautifully capturing the storm. One double-spread in particular has just the right light as the truck goes through town. Anyone living in a northern state will recognize that light and the quiet moment before the plow comes through.

Ideal for winter reading, curl up with this one before being plowed out yourself. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy provided by Scholastic.

Bountiful Board Books

| Tasha

Here are four new board books to enjoy with little ones:

Duck's Ditty by Kenneth Grahame

Duck’s Ditty by Kenneth Grahame (9781486713868)

From the song in The Wind in the Willows, this board book is a clever adaptation of the original that makes it just right for little listeners. The song and the book focus on the ducks dabbling in a pond. The ducks look for food and are very content with their quiet days spent along the riverbank. It’s a quiet book, celebrating contentment and simple pleasures. The book is a larger format of board book than many, making it very appealing. The illustrations have an organic feel, dappled with shade and sun and almost speckled with water drops. A great summer pick. (Reviewed from copy provided by Flowerpot Press.)

Little Truck by Taro Gomi

Little Truck by Taro Gomi (9781452163000)

Little Truck starts driving and is very fast. He passes bigger trucks as he goes. But when he comes to a very big hill, he slows way down and is almost unable to make it all the way up. It just takes a little help from that slower big truck to give him a nudge. Little Truck rushes off again, this time heading into a dark tunnel. But when only the big truck emerges from the dark, what has happened to Little Truck? This board book offers a wheeled version of what it is like to walk with an enthusiastic and energetic toddler. The book has plenty of action, an homage to The Little Engine That Could, and the danger of a dark tunnel. Exactly what little ones will love! (Reviewed from copy provided by Chronicle Books.)

Llamaphones by Janik Coat

Llamaphones by Janik Coat (9781419728273)

I am a big fan of this series and the third entry doesn’t disappoint at all. Here the book focuses on homophones and uses llamas on each page to demonstrate each word. There are lovely surprises inside like fairy sparkles, moving clock hands, and touch-and-feel pages. But it is the humor that carries the book, almost every page worthy of a smile if not a full guffaw. The book has art that is strong and graphic, making it something that would work with a group if you have time for them all to touch the pages. A great concept board book to share. (Reviewed from library copy.)

Wiggles by Claire Zucchelli-Romer

Wiggles by Claire Zucchelli-Romer (9781452164755)

This book offers places for little fingers to explore. It starts with a race track that scoops both pages and then becomes more and more complicated. Fingers dance and tap as the concepts of right and left are taught in a fun way. Fingers spin around spirals, they zigzag and hop, until finally all that is left to do is dance. Great fun to play with, the book teaches colors and even the littlest ones will love reading this with their adult. (Reviewed from copy provided by Chronicle Books.)

 

3 New Friendly Picture Books

| Tasha

Adelaide_s Secret World by Elise Hurst

Adelaide’s Secret World by Elise Hurst (9781524714543)

Originally published in Australia, this picture book features a similar world to Hurst’s Imagine a City, a bustling urban setting filled with animals. Adelaide lives in the city and runs a quiet shop where she makes small models. She spent her days and nights alone, watching others rush past and noting those that were quieter like her. Caught in a sudden rainstorm one day, she sees a Fox that she has noticed earlier drop his book. When she returns the book, she hopes they will connect, but it doesn’t happen that day. Still, Adelaide does not give up and creates an art piece filled with connection and magic that may just make her a new friend. This picture book celebrates quiet people who still want friends and connection. Through the gorgeous glowing full-color paintings, Hurst creates a world for these two quiet animals to live in, one that invites readers in and holds them close. Appropriate for ages 4-6. (Reviewed from e-galley provided by Edelweiss and Knopf Books for Young Readers.)

The Digger and the Flower by Joseph Kuefler

The Digger and the Flower by Joseph Kuefler (9780062424334)

Crane, Dozer and Digger are three big trucks who work hard to build big buildings, roads and bridges. Then one day Digger discovered a tiny flower in the rubble. Digger took care of the flower, watering it, protecting it from the wind and singing to it just before he went to sleep nearby. Soon though, the empty lot that the flower grew in was needed for building. Before Digger could stop him, Dozer cut the flower down. Digger was so sad, but there on the ground were three little seeds. The illustrations have strong graphical elements with shots of color from the trucks and flower. A simple and lovely tale of death and birth, of caring for something you love, this picture book gives a big truck a huge heart. (Reviewed from library copy.)

Kate, Who Tamed the Wind by Liz Garton Scanlon

Kate, Who Tamed the Wind by Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Lee White (9781101934791)

A man lived all alone at the top of a very steep hill where winds blew constantly. The wind blew so much that eventually, the shutters banged and the boards bent, and the wind tipped things over and just kept on blowing. Kate was a little girl who lived below the steep hill. When the man cried out in despair, Kate heard him and had a plan. She thought and thought, realizing that she could not stop the wind from blowing. But she could bring new trees to the man. So up she went, pulling her wagon of trees. The two planted the trees together and time passed, the wind still blew, but eventually the trees softened the wind and their friendship grew along with the trees. This picture book is so delightful. Scanlon uses rhymes, rhythm and repetition to create a story that is jaunty and wonderful to read aloud. She plays with the forms, so it never becomes sing-songy and is constantly surprising. The art is just as sprightly and warm, with a stunningly steep hill and plenty of vexing wind. The solution, provided by a child, incorporates nature and science. Appropriate for ages 3-5. (Reviewed from e-galley provided by Edelweiss and Schwartz & Wade.)

3 Seasonal Picture Books

| Tasha

Good Day, Good Night by Margaret Wise Brown

Good Day, Good Night by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Loren Long (9780062383105)

A little bunny wakes up in the morning and greets the day, saying goodbye to the night. Trees, birds, kittens and more come to life as the day dawns. The day continues and then in the evening, the moon rises. Night begins and the bees and birds and town settle down once more into a quiet night. The poetry here by Brown is ever so lovely, lulling and sweet. It invites both a warm look at waking up but also a snuggly look at night coming. The illustrations by Long create a world of rabbits, a village filled with activity and a glimpse of nature responding to day and night as well. This is a picture book just right for bedtime or morning. Appropriate for ages 2-4. (Reviewed from library copy.)

Small Walt by Elizabeth Verdick

Small Walt by Elizabeth Verdick, illustrated by Marc Rosenthal (9781481448451)

Walt is the smallest snowplow in the city’s fleet, so when the big storm arrives, no one wants to drive him. Soon the parking lot is empty with only Walt left behind. Then Gus arrives and merrily prepares to drive Walt into the storm. Walt works hard into the night to clear bridges and roads, trying to prove that he’s up to the big job. Then he reaches a big hill. They could leave it for a larger truck to handle, but Walt wants to try. He slips and slides all the way up, but getting down could be even worse! This picture book is a snowy riff on The Little Engine that Could, offering a bright red little hero willing to take on big challenges. The tone throughout is friendly and fun. Any little one who enjoys books about trucks will love curling up with this one during snow season. Appropriate for ages 3-6. (Reviewed from copy provided by Simon & Schuster.)

Snow Scene by Richard Jackson

Snow Scene by Richard Jackson, illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (9781626726802)

Explore a snowy area with this inviting and engaging picture book. With very simple text that asks readers to guess at what is coming next, this book has a freshness that is very appealing. The simple text focuses on speaking directly to the reader, showing different aspects of a snowy day that slowly transitions to spring and then summer, where snow is only on the far mountain top. The art by Seeger has a strong textural element that will have small children running their fingers over the smooth pages. It is rich and inviting, sometimes close up and other times just hinting at what is to come. This seasonal picture book celebrates snow in all of its forms, winter and summer. Appropriate for ages 2-4. (Reviewed from copy provided by Roaring Brook Press.)

Monster Trucks by Anika Denise

| Tasha

monster-trucks-by-anika-denise

Monster Trucks by Anika Denise, illustrated by Nate Wragg (InfoSoup)

A revved up mix of trucks and monsters, this picture book will delight fans of either topic. Monster trucks are ready to race as their engines moan and rumble. There is Frankentruck, jumped alive by his electric cables. Werewolf Truck stops to howl at the moon. Zombie Truck is glowing and green. Ghost Truck appears suddenly out of the shadows. Vampire Truck is on the hunt for everyone’s fuel. As the race begins though, there is an unlikely entry, Little Blue Bus all cute enters the race. Soon the monster trucks are after her and she’s in a race for her life!

Denise writes in engaging rhyme that speeds the book alone, accelerating the pace along with the racing trucks. The addition of the little blue bus is wonderfully refreshing, playing on the horror movie motif and also adding a character that children can relate to. The rhythm of the book is also great fun to read aloud and this one will charm anyone listening with its dynamic subject matter.

Wragg’s illustrations are fabulous. He thoroughly embraces the idea of “monster” trucks and transforms them into real monsters while still making sure they are trucks as well. The headlight eyes are expressive and often evil, the bumper and hood leers are cleverly done, and the lightness of the little bus plays up the twist at the end.

A strong entry in the Halloween book race, this picture book will be adored by truck fans and those looking for a little monster thrill. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from HarperCollins.