Book Review: Little Blue Truck (Schertle)

Little Blue Truck

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Genre: Children’s Books

Subgenre: Early Learning – Basic Concepts, Sounds; Farm Animals; Cars & Trucks

Reviewer: Sara

Book received by: Gift

Synopsis:

Travel the country roads with Little Blue. Meet his friends while he bumps along, until a big dump truck plows his way through. When the dump gets stuck in the mud, Blue goes about helping him, only to find he’s stuck as well. Fortunately, the loyalty and kindness of Blue’s friends demonstrates the value of friendship and respect.

Review:

Busy moms, you better find space on the shelf and carve out some time to read (and re-read) The Little Blue Truck. It’s a wonderful story about the value of friendship and the importance of treating others with kindness. In Schertle’s tale, the reader travels with Blue, greeting his friends with friendly beeps and receiving replies in the form of “Oinks,” “Neighs,” and “Moos.” The story rhymes and flows with ease. The moral is woven through the story from the beginning and was an immediate point of conversation for my five year-old at the book’s end.

McElmurry’s illustrations bring the vehicles and farm animals to life, and gives them delightful personalities. They’re all brightly colored and expressive, capturing the action and adding to the charm of the book. The illustrations add to the humor of the story and several make me giggle even after reading it many times now. My personal favorite is the big green toad, with his sparkling teeth and bulging biceps, standing knee-deep in the mud.

The first time we read the book was followed immediately by a second read at my son’s request. He enjoyed the characters and the story, noting the Dump’s unpleasant behavior and how kind Blue’s friends were to help push him (and the Dump) out of the mud. This book was an instant favorite in our house for mom and kid(s) alike, as I’m sure it will be in yours, too!

Have you read The Little Blue Truck? Who was your favorite character? Comments are welcome and appreciated!

Happy trails and may the good books be plentiful!

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Featured image: Cover Illustration by Jill McElmurry