Review by Booklist Review
PreS. Vroom! Matthew's truck likes to go places. As a toddler steers his red-and-yellow dump truck through his household, paint box-bright pictures reveal the power of imaginative play: It's Matthew himself behind the wheel. He and his trusty vehicle explore houseplants transformed into green, leafy forests, plunge into an aquarium lake, and, finally, park for the night in a private spot, right beside the driver's pillow. Though both text and artwork are nicely managed, it's the cleverly conceived format that merits extra attention here. Part of the same Super Sturdy Picture Book series as Charles Smith's Let's Play Basketball BKL S 1 04, and featuring the same cardstock pages, rounded corners, and durable, unjacketed cover, this gives toddlers the experience of reading a big-kid book--without the need for repeated applications of glue and tape. --Jennifer Mattson Copyright 2005 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-This book opens with Matthew playing with his yellow dump truck, which "likes to go places." The turn of the page shows the youngster driving as it "RATTLES along rough, bumpy roads-and SPEEDS across smooth, slippery ones." After a series of adventures, it finally "pulls into its own private parking place-right next to Matthew's pillow." The vehicle travels through a wild terrain of "steep cliffs" and "deep dangerous lakes" while Takahashi's winsome acrylics reassuringly depict the everyday landscape of a flight of stairs and a fish tank. Charming details include a cat watching over Matthew and his truck as well as tire-tread endpapers. The simple story, bright pictures, and sturdy pages make this book a dandy addition to early literacy collections.-Bina Williams, Bridgeport Public Library, CT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Simple text describes the imagined journey of Matthew's toy truck: ""it explores green, leafy forests... / and sneaks under dark, shadowy bridges"" while the bright, acrylic illustrations show the truck (with Matthew as driver) navigating around potted plants and under kitchen chairs. The ""sturdy"" pages of the pleasant but mild story probably won't have to endure repeated readings. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
