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Jon Scieszka's Trucktown: Smash! Crash!

Book Summary

Reviewed by Patricia Tauzer

Two truck friends roll out together looking for smashing and crashing. As they meet various trucks they add to the chaos of Trucktown, until finally they find useful ways to put all that energy to work.

Is It Any Good?

3

With bright colors, oversized wheels, and big personalities, super-energetic duo Jack Truck and Dump Truck Dan hit the road, looking for smashing and crashing. Most of their truck friends have work to do, but the two friends manage to create enough chaos on their own. Happily, they even smash and crash in helpful ways at times. They help Monster Truck Max stack his barrels and build a pirate ship for Gabriella Garbage and Grader Kat.

Along the lines of the Thomas the Tank Engine books, SMASH! CRASH! is filled with a variety of trucks, each with its own name, attitude, and job to do. The book itself is an easy read-aloud/early reader with big block letters, simple words, and short sentences. The full-page illustrations are full of action, and the trucks definitely have personalities. Each one will soon star in a book of its own, as well as in a spot on the interactive Web site developed by Jon Scieszka as part of his crusade to inspire kids, especially boys, to read.

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