Horn Book Review
Whats a kid to do when he wants a puppy but receives a toy truck instead? Carter cheerfully and enterprisingly makes the best of it by pretending (or is he?) that the truck is a puppy. He begins by taking his toy on a walk to the park. Once there, though, the truck gets off leash and chases a squirrel (vroom beep bark!). Carter has a moment of anxiety when he loses sight of his pet, but a girl on a park bench points out the mischievous machine hiding behind a bush. It turns out she has her own toy vehicle (vroom beep meow!), and the next day, the four return to the park to play. Vibrant, saturated tones and swirling shapes, only semi-contained by thick black outlines, reflect the protagonist in motion and highlight the warmth and comfort of his (grownup-free) imaginary play. Creamy off-white pages set the mood, and little-to-no background detail keeps the focus on activity and emotion. The sound effects interspersed throughout the straightforward main text provide lots of opportunities July/Aug p.114(c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A lively imagination is a beautiful thing."Carter wanted a puppy. / He got a truck." So begins this whimsical tale of a little round-faced, brown-skinned, curly-haired boy who doesn't linger over what he lacks but makes the very best of what he does have. This toy truck with a bright red cab and a yellow cargo bed becomes his constant companion. Carter pets Puppy Truck, attaches a leash to it, and takes it to the park, where it chases squirrels and exclaims, "Vroom beep bark!"a frequent vocalization. Carter meets a little girl, whose brown skin is a little lighter than his own, sitting on a park bench; she admires Puppy Truck so much that she gets an idea of her own that surfaces at the end of the story. Pinkney brings this story to life with a pale-yellow background for the acrylic and India ink illustrations, in which the swift movements of the boy, Puppy Truck, and the squirrel are ever apparent. Since this story has so few words, preschool readers will easily be able to tell it on their own after a few times of hearing it read aloud. An important mirror book for the youngest of black and brown readers, this lighthearted story will likely be a favorite for storytimeespecially with little ones who love things that go VROOM! (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
