Little Blue Truck's Springtime
(Little Blue Truck)

Schertle and the late McElmurry's lightly anthropomorphic blue truck returns for a joyful springtime lift-the-flap outing. As the Little Blue Truck travels through an idyllic farm landscape, readers can look beneath large flaps to discover newborn animals underneath ("Who's out swimming in a line?/ Yoo-hoo, Duck and ducklings nine!"). The cheerful scenes offer plenty of opportunities for animal identification and counting (Sheep has just given birth to twins, 10 piglets share a muddy sty with Mama Pig), and a closing scene brings together all the little ones for a festive finale that sees them decked out in floral garlands. Up to age 3. (Jan.)

PreS-K—Little Blue Truck and his friend Toad take a drive on a pretty spring day and they encounter an array of animals on their way. The illustrations are done in a folk-art style. Pastel pink and purple colors and the presence of flowers throughout add to the book's cheerful seasonal look. The artwork successfully captures the progression through the addition of animal passengers as the trip develops and a series of flaps that can be lifted to reveal an assortment of hidden baby animals. The narrative has a simple and effective rhyme scheme and pairs with the illustrations seamlessly. VERDICT A great choice for encouraging young children to learn to identify animals and reinforce counting skills. This book is a fun read to celebrate the spring season.—Deanna Smith, formerly at Mamaroneck Public Library, NY