Let's Talk About Books: Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle

I am so excited to participate in my very first Linky!  And what a Linky it is!  I think Mrs. Jump's Let's Talk About Books Tuesdays could introduce me to hundreds of new stories by the end of summer!  And who knows books better than teachers?

My book to share is Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle and illustrated by Jill McElmurry.  Since I've been on maternity leave since March that oh-so-conveniently ended right as summer began,  I'm a little more in board books mode than Kindergarten books mode.  But oh, this story is a delight that could be enjoyed in the classroom as well as snuggled in your rocking chair.

Little Blue Truck is a friendly little truck who bumps along a delightfully illustrated country road beeping hello to all of his farm friends who kindly croak, cluck, bleat, oink, moo, and neigh back at him.  All of a sudden, the tranquil countryside is interrupted by a loud, pushy dump truck who demands that everyone get out of his big, important way.  Unfortunately for The Dump, the skies open up, the rains begin, and he finds his big, important self stuck in a mud puddle.

Not to worry, Little Blue Truck comes to the rescue, despite The Dump's rude behavior.  But, alas, no good deed goes unpunished, and Blue is stuck too!

Blue's friends come quickly to his aid, and all work together to push Blue and The Dump out of the mud.

If the sweet tale of friendship, kindness, and unity isn't enough to win you over, the musicality will.  The rhythm and rhyme is simply divine - it actually sounds like a little truck bumping along.

I'm thinking this will be squeezed into my farm unit next spring.  Until then, I'm enjoying it with my little peanut who I hope grows up to be a little something like Blue.