Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-As a farmer sets off for town in his well-used pickup truck, his barnyard animals decide to go along. The duck Luck climbs onboard and is soon joined by a "chicken that goes `cluck,'" two dogs named Nip and Tuck, a burro called Buck, and several other critters. With such a heavy load, it's no surprise that the old truck breaks down upon reaching town. After calling for help from Handyman Hugh and his crew, Chuck is soon reunited with a shiny blue, totally refurbished pickup. Filled with rhyming language, this story will be a boon for beginning readers who will easily identify the rhyming words. One of the book's strongest features is the way the illustrations give visual clues to support the narrative while still adding to the humor of the plot. Anderson uses a crayon-resist technique to great effect, and the pictures are filled with dimension and texture. The bright colors are vibrant and energetic. This title will be a welcome addition to most collections, not only for its appeal to newly independent readers, but also for fun barnyard and vehicle storytimes.-Susan E. Murray, Glendale Public Library, AZ (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
(Preschool, Primary) It begins as a jaunty cumulation on a single rhyme (""The chicken that goes 'cluck' rides in the truck with the duck Luck and Chuck""). Soon, more creatures (and sounds) are clambering into the rickety relic, whose license plate reads ""OL BLU"": ""And then they meet the old goat Flo. And so...."" Ol Blu sheds parts under the mounting burden -- a fender here, a muffler there -- until, wheeling into town, the truck fails entirely, flat tires hissing. Farmer Chuck desponds. Not to worry: the animals call ""Handyman Hugh. He hurries over with his whole crew...Together they make the truck like new."" With the animals' help (they're into everything, crawling over Blu like kids), the vibrant turquoise and rust colors that so enrich the early portraits of the ramshackle pickup give way to a spiffy, shiny electric-blue tone that matches Chuck's overalls. Even the license is renovated: ""NU BLU."" Both the pithy rhyming text and the bold, expressive animals are sure to tickle preschoolers' funny bones, while the gradually introduced, playfully reiterated words and rhymes also suit the cheery tale to beginning readers. (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.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Tight rhymes and loud pictures tell the story of a trip to town for a farmer and his critters. When the farm animals hear Chuck starting his truck, all of them wanna hop aboard! In turn, the duck, the chicken, the dogs, the burro, the workhorse, the cat and the old goat jump on. Anderson packs her lean text with simple rhymes ("Fat Cat Pat," "The duck Luck rides in the truck with Chuck"), and her watercolor illustrations are a riot of bold hues. The horse is a vivid yellow with a white mane, Nip the dog an equally loud orange and the duck a brilliant turquoise. But when they get to town, the truck breaks down. It falls to Handyman Hugh, and naturally his crew, to fix the vehicle so Chuck and company can return home. A near-perfect marriage of text and illustration, and a bright, attractive vehicle for aspiring readers. (Picture book. 3- 8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
