Book Review: Supertruck by Stephen Savage

Book: Supertruck
Author: Stephen Savage
Illustrator: Stephen Savage
Published: 2015
Source: Local Library

Every truck in the city has its own job, some more glamorous than others. The firetruck, the tow truck, these are heroic trucks! The meek, quiet garbage truck is . . . not. But when a massive snowstorm hits the city, none of the other trucks can help. Only the mysterious Supertruck can save the day! Although, interestingly enough, that meek, quiet garbage truck is nowhere to be seen . . .

Stephen Savage's books never fail to make me smile.This one, with its mashup of trucks (yay!) and superheroes (yaaaaaaaaaaay!) has enormous appeal, and its simple text make it a great read-aloud. I read this to a group of children from age two up to about eight at least, and they all loved it. Genre-savvy young readers will probably figure out the garbage truck's secret early on (especially with the giant clue of the big Clark Kent glasses) but that will just up the enjoyment.

Reading Roundup: April 2015

By the Numbers
Picture Books: 21
Early Readers: 1

Sources
Library: 21

Standouts
Writing: The New Arrival by Vanya Nastanlieva
There are a lot of books about a person being wary of their new surroundings. What about those surroundings being wary of the new person? This folded both in, with bonus hedgehogs and bunnies.
Illustration: Roger is Reading a Book by Koen Van Biesen, trans. Laura Watkinson
I love the collage effect of these illustrations, which take on most of the storytelling load about poor Roger driven to distraction by his neighbor's noisy ways. Also, keep your eye on the dog.
Overall: Supertruck by Stephen Savage
Trucks as superheroes? It's a combination guaranteed to make your average three year old's head explode with glee.

Because I Want To Awards
Begs to be Performed: Monkey and Duck Quack Up! by Jennifer Hamburg, ill. Ed Fotheringham
Note I said "performed," not just "read aloud." With its specific call-and-response rhythms, this needs to be performed by a pair that really gets how to do it, and that would be awesome.
Poor Monster!: Bunnies!!! by Kevan Atteberry
An overenthusiastic monster keeps frightening the bunnies away. But all he wants to do is play! Awwww.
Do We Ever Get to See the Monkeys?: Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett, ill. Kevin Cornell
Page after page, we are denied simian antics because some other critter interfered. When will we see monkeys? When?!