MOMMY'S BIG, RED MONSTER TRUCK

A child celebrates all the things that his mother’s large red truck can do in this picture book.

An unnamed young boy and his mom love nothing more than adventuring in a huge “monster truck” that’s as loud as it is big. Its engine thrums “Vaaa vaaa vaaa VROOM!” as its “HUGE black wheels” crash on the pavement: “SCRUNCH! SMASH! POW! WOOHOO!” (Although the truck is “REALLY, REALLY FAST!” the mother always obeys traffic laws.) Together, the pair travels around the country, planning to see all 50 states and beyond: “I bet we could float across the Atlantic Ocean to ENGLAND,” says the narrator optimistically. The boy loves helping to wash the truck after their adventures. Other “mommies” are shown providing hugs, kisses, bedtime stories, and more. Klakowicz packs her debut with sound effects, giving it strong read-aloud potential—though it may be too exciting for bedtime. On the page, emphasized words are variously colored and capitalized, curving around and mimicking the truck’s kineticism. The full-color, uncredited illustrations may appeal to truck lovers, although they appear somewhat flat and oversimplified. Both the mother and son are white; other characters have a range of nationalities and skin tones, and one boy is shown using a wheelchair.

Lively, vigorous, and well suited to kids who adore cool moms and their vehicles.