Review by Booklist Review
Each day, Little Lunch Truck, with Chef Nina, visits the hospital, library, park, and more, where people await Chef Nina's delicious dishes. Today, however, they're adding a stop: a busy construction site filled with vehicles Little Lunch Truck is anxious about meeting: "Will the big trucks like me?" Pulling up, Bulldozer, Cement Mixer, and others progressively stop, and Little Lunch Truck worries their presence is an unwelcome distraction. But of course, it's just the crew's lunchtime, and the day concludes on an upbeat note, with Little Lunch Truck offering a peppy "Beep beep!" farewell. Bright, cheerful cartoon illustrations incorporate abundant details for little ones to pore over, from cute Little Lunch Truck's expressive headlight eyes, simple line mouth, and jaunty, colorfully striped awning to the construction crew's jobs and machinery; helpfully, the vehicle names are bolded, and their functions are all described within the text. This is a natural pick for the vehicle-loving crowd, but readers will also appreciate the reassuring message that while new, unfamiliar experiences can be daunting, they can be rewarding, too--and sometimes lead to new friends.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
With eager eyes, a sweet smile, a jaunty striped awning, and an "EAT" sign on top, Little Lunch Truck is proud to be brown-skinned Chef Nina's unfailing partner, making sure her tacos, smoothies, "famous Sweet Tater Fries," and other items reach the hungry workers on their route. Today, there's a new stop: a "dusty, dirty, busy... and loud" construction site, which, while "EXCITING!" is also a lot of vehicular muscle for the little gray truck to take in. As the protagonist enters the site, seven different vehicles stop working, one by one ("Little Lunch Truck drives by Backhoe digging a hole, and Backhoe stops digging"), and the food truck worries, "Are they mad that we interrupted their work?" Hardly--it's the crew's lunchtime, and they're clamoring for Chef Nina's specialties. "Come back tomorrow, little buddy!" says Bulldozer, as the workers and machines return to their jobs. In his solo debut, Beyl's digitized pencil drawings have precise lines and bright colors that make Little Lunch Truck's route fun to follow and cater to the fussiest truck fan, while the text exudes cheerful empathy for anyone who's felt the urge to hang back in unfamiliar settings. Ages 2--5. Agent: Elizabeth Bennett, Trans- atlantic Literary. (May)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K--This debut tells the story of a shy, anthropomorphized food truck and its owner. Little Lunch Truck and Chef Nina travel throughout town, serving delicious meals. It's a special day as the pair will be traveling to a "dirty, busy, and loud" construction site for the first time. As they approach the site, the vehicle's anxiety steadily increases as it ponders how the other trucks will react. The duo pull up to the site as the construction vehicles, all of which are individually named, stop their tasks and watch. Lunch is announced, and the diverse crew of construction workers enjoy Chef Nina's lauded meals and Little Lunch Truck's presence. Similar to the "Busy Bus" series by Jody Jensen Shaffer, this is sure to delight vehicle lovers while at the same time touching on the challenges of new experiences. VERDICT A sweet story of community and things that go--and an additional purchase for most collections.--Olivia Gorecke, Cape May Cty. Lib., Ocean View, NJ
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