Review by Booklist Review
The cheeky title might lead readers to assume that this book is about huge trucks, but the vehicles shown here are mostly conventional they just happen to be driven by monsters. Playfully, the book answers questions like What do monsters do in the off-seasons? (that is, seasons other than autumn, when they're not called upon to sneak and spook and scare). The answer? They shift to a different gear. Yeti drives the snowplow, swamp monster mans the garbage truck, mummies helm the ambulance (and all of those bandages!), and skeletons operate the pavers, giving new meaning to skeleton crews. The only unusual vehicle is the witch's street cleaner with its humanlike arms. Humorous digital illustrations show colorful vehicles and nonscary monsters they aren't out to get anyone! as they cheerfully go about their tasks, while the rhyming text bounces jauntily along, much like one of these vehicles might. For bedtime or for storytime, these monsters are here.--Enos, Randall Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
On hiatus from their Halloween activities, various monsters "shift into a different gear" by taking on roadside work. Debut author Keller gets plenty of mileage from the titular pun, playfully matching monsters to appropriate trucks: a yeti sits behind the wheel of a snowplow, a witch "trades in her trusty broom" for a street sweeper, and a mummy rides an ambulance ("She'll patch each monster's bump and scrape/ with lots of bandages and tape"). In digital drawings with thick, chunky lines reminiscent of woodblock prints, Saburi shows each creature hard (and happily) at work. Keller offers extra reassurance for readers who may worry about a visit from this spooky bunch: "At rest in your bed, tucked in tight,/ don't fear these monsters in the night." After a hard day's work, they are "much too tired to crawl and creep." Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Mary Cummings, Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises. Illustrator's agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Agency. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-What do monsters do on the 364 nights of the year that aren't Halloween? They drive monster trucks, of course. Each spread of Keller's clever picture book is devoted to one monster, or in the case of the "skeleton crew," several of one type of monster, operating the perfect truck for its temperament or special powers: the mummies are ambulance drivers, the werewolf runs an excavator. The text begs to be read aloud; the couplets scan well and the rhymes are unforced. Saburi's digitally created illustrations feature thick outlines, saturated colors, and a slightly wonky perspective. Her monsters appear cheerful and nonthreatening. The smiling witch wears a pointed black hat over her yellow hard hat as she drives her street sweeper, which has special kitten-washing attachments. The ending (monster bedtime, naturally) is sweet and satisfying. VERDICT A terrific read-aloud and a welcome addition to the truck (and monster) shelves.-Jennifer Costa, Cambridge Public Library, MA © Copyright 2017. 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 Kirkus Book Review
Just the book for the perceptive kids who ask where all the Halloween monsters go the rest of the year. They drive monster trucks, of course, each one perfectly suited to the job and truck at hand. The witch trades in her broom for a street sweeper. The werewolf operates a digger, and the vampire hangs upside down from the cherry picker to fix high buildings. And the yeti? He's a snowplow operator. "A speeding ambulance draws near. / A mummy's working in the rear. / He'll patch each monster bump and scrape / with lots of bandages and tape." Other creatures include skeletons, a swamp monster (aside from the witch, the only other character identified as female), the Minotaur, and an ogre. The ending sees the sleepy monsters heading off to bed as the full moon rises in the sky. And Keller spells it out for anxious kids: the monsters won't be found under beds or in closets: "They're much too tired / to crawl and creep. // They're snoring soundly, / fast asleep." Saburi's digital illustrations portray enthusiastic monsters enjoying their work, some maybe a little too much. While still toothy or large or gross, none are too scary for readers to handle, especially when posed against the vehicles so many kids are fascinated with. A good book to try when monster fears strike at night. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
