Get To Work, Trucks

From Publishers Weekly
From sunup to sundown, the work of construction trucks is never done although there's always time to pause and save a curious turtle from getting pancaked in the process. That, in essence, is Carter's (Wake Up, House!) story, told in simple declarative sentences ("The loader lifts a big rock. The dump truck drops a pile of little rocks"). But this is no run-of-the-mill heavy equipment primer. The illustrations, which nearly burst from the page, are photographs of Carter's three-dimensional scenes, produced from foam board, plaster and lusciously thick acrylic paint that resembles the tinted buttercream of a birthday cake. That every spread looks like a toy-enacted scenario assembled by a young construction enthusiast should give the book plenty of appeal to any aspiring hard-hatter, but Carter also adds in a nice comic touch to each spread: cameo appearances by the rescued turtle. The reptile takes such a liking to the work that readers can spot him hitching rides on the trucks' scoopers and even riding a steel beam into the sky. Ages 2-5. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
reSchool--From dawn to dark, a road crew working with a variety of machines constructs a bridge over a pond, under the watch of a smiling turtle that initially halted progress. A simple text carries the plot, prompting the exploration of colors and numbers; children are also likely to try to locate the turtle on each page. Carter uses acrylic paints over flat foam board and plaster figures to produce highly textured, colorful representations of everyone's favorite construction vehicles and their multiethnic drivers. Preschoolers will be repeat customers for this friendly work.Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VACopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 2-4. Toddlers who like trucks (that's almost all of them) will relish this brightly colored truck rally, as vivid slightly anthropomorphic tow trucks, dump trucks, bulldozers, and more, and their ethnically diverse drivers (both male and female), work their way through the day. The simple text, which explores a few age-appropriate concepts such as height and distance, has a nice rhythm, and the 3-D illustrations, made from a variety of materials, almost pop off the page--the mud looks just like yummy chocolate frosting. There's no particular reason for the bright green turtle that appears on every page, somewhere near the trucks, but kids will enjoy following its progress from page to page. Marta Segal
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Book Description
Join eight hardworking machines for a day at the building site. Don Carter combines the irresistible lure of heavy machinery with simple learning concepts and bright dimensional art -- as vivid and appealing as the toys in the toy box.


Card catalog description
Shows a typical day for a group of working trucks: a loader, a dump truck, a digger, a bulldozer, a cement mixer, a tow truck, a crane, and a roller.

About the Author
Don Carter is the author of Get to Work Trucks, a New York Public Library "100 Best Books for Reading and Sharing" selection. He lives in West Hartford, Connecticut.



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At dawn, as the sun is just appearing on the horizon and the sky is awash in red and yellow, a construction worker gets into his dump truck. By the time four trucks have joined together, the sun has risen higher and the sky is blue. Eight trucks are soon on their way to the construction site. Suddenly, the construction worker shouts, "Stop!" What is so urgent? Why, there is a turtle in the workmen's path. After moving the turtle, the construction worker says, "Get to work trucks!" They busily create a bridge. On the final page where it is now night, the turtle has made his way to the water. There are many concepts smoothly presented in this simple story. Each truck is identified by its name and its use. Numbers from one to eight count the trucks. Day and night, and their subtle and stark changes, are presented in the acrylic paintings. Ecological and humanitarian themes are also here. The turtle reappears in unusual places, making it fun for preschoolers to locate him. The textured art and the luscious colors will intrigue the reader. Except for the great picture on the back of the picture book cover, this book has made the transition to board book form quite smoothly. 2003 (orig. 2002), Roaring Brook Press/Millbrook Press, Ages 2 to 5.


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