Cars and Trucks – Sneak Peek Books

Little Blue Truck’s Christmas

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Little Blue Truck is spreading cheer by delivering Christmas trees to his animal friends. Can you help count each green tree from one to five and back again? Don’t forget to save one for Blue! Beep! Beep!

Follow Blue’s adventure as he delivers trees to his friends. Along the way, readers will learn counting as they keep track of how many trees Blue has to deliver. Each two-page spread also has other items that adults can encourage readers to count. For instance, one page has four red birds, while another has four cute piglets. The last page of the book shows Blue’s final delivery; this tree’s glowing Christmas lights will give the reader one last glimpse of holiday cheer.

Little Blue Truck’s Christmas is a fun book to read because of the rhyming and onomatopoeia words. Each page has four short lines of text, and each number and onomatopoeia is shown in a different colored font. The illustrations show a snow-covered world that is full of Christmas cheer. Blue wears a wreath and many scenes show Christmas lights and fun details, such as two rabbits wearing brightly colored scarves and hats while making a snowman.

Get ready for the holiday season by reading Little Blue Truck’s Christmas. The fun illustrations, decorations, and sparkly lights make this book a wonderful Christmas treat while emphasizing the joy of giving during the holiday season. For even more great holiday reads, grab a blanket and snuggle up with Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson, and The Christmas Tree Who Loved Trains by Annie Silvestro.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

None

Drugs and Alcohol 

None

Language 

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

None

Construction Site on Christmas Night

The mighty construction trucks are busy building a very special gift in time for Christmas Eve. But there’s a surprise waiting for them too! Excavator, Bulldozer, Crane Truck, Dump Truck, and Cement Mixer all receive a special present as each truck finishes their part of this important job, before rolling off to a sweet and sleepy goodnight.

Construction Site on Christmas Night uses a repeating pattern to tell the story. In the first section, Bulldozer is working hard to clear the ground. Once he has completed his part of the job, he finds “a massive gift with cable ‘ribbon’ from the yard, it’s topped off with a thank-you card. An awesome carbon steel blade.” After Bulldozer opens his gift, he goes to sleep. The story repeats this format with each of the other trucks, with each gift reflecting the truck’s unique personality. For example, Dump Truck receives new tires and Cement Mixer receives a new drum. Then the conclusion shows the firetrucks snuggled into their newly built firehouse while the other trucks sleep outside in the snow.

Even though Construction Site on Christmas Night is a simple story, it still has positive lessons. Each truck has a job that is unique to their design. Without each truck completing its work, the firehouse could not be built. In addition, the story shows the joy of giving and the value of work.

Even though Construction Site on Christmas Night is a picture book it is intended to be read to children instead of having them read it independently. The story uses rhyming and onomatopoeia which make the story fun to read. The illustrations use primary colors as well as festive details, such as ribbons and bows. Each page has one to six sentences that keep the story flowing at a fast pace.

Any child who loves trucks will find joy in reading Construction Site on Christmas Night. The story reinforces the importance of appreciating others and the importance of using your own unique talents. The book is perfect for snuggling up and reading on a cold winter’s night. Plus, it will leave readers with sweet dreams of what they will find under the Christmas tree. To read more about hard-working trucks, chug to the nearest library and check out Bulldozer Helps Out by Candace Fleming.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

None

Drugs and Alcohol 

None

Language 

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

None

Hot Rod Hamster and the Haunted Halloween Party

Halloween is off to a great start for Hot Rod Hamster. He has received an invitation to a costume party, where the guests with the best costumes will win a prize! Everyone is welcome, so Hot Rod Hamster races to the junkyard to invite his best friend, Dog. After a visit to the costume store, the two decide to dress as rock stars. With their instruments, leather jackets, and spiked hair, Hot Rod Hamster and Dog are confident about their chances of winning the contest.

However, on the way to the party, Hot Rod Hamster’s car breaks down. If that isn’t bad enough, it has stopped in front of an eerie, foreboding house. Now Hot Rod Hamster and Dog have no chance of making it to the party in time…that is, unless they go to the spooky house for help. But when they step through the open door, they are greeted by four ghosts!

Although startled at first, Hot Rod Hamster and Dog quickly realize that they have stumbled upon four particularly friendly ghosts. What’s more, the ghosts love parties just as much as Hot Rod Hamster and Dog do. Hot Rod Hamster and Dog arrive at the party later than they had hoped, but they make a grand entrance with their new ghost friends. The group has a wonderful time at the party. At the night’s end, it’s time for Hot Rod Hamster and Dog to prove that their costumes are the best. They perform an original song dedicated to Halloween. With the ghosts as their backup singers, the group wins the prize! It was an even better Halloween than Hot Rod Hamster expected.

Hot Rod Hamster and the Haunted Halloween Party is a cute, quick, and scare-free picture book that is sure to entertain younger readers. Its illustrations are based on the art of Derek Anderson, the regular artist of the Hot Rod Hamster series. Although not drawn directly by Anderson, the illustrations of this book successfully capture the fun and playful tone familiar to the series.

In the book’s narration, Lord employs another familiar trait of the series: a rhythmic rhyme scheme that allows readers to participate in the story. For example, when Hot Rod Hamster, Dog, and the ghosts arrive at the party, Lord asks the reader: “Carve time? Sweet time? Drink time? Meet time? Which would you choose?” While these questions do not change the direction of the story, they nonetheless engage the reader in the events on each page. Along with this, the book uses simple sentences with one to five sentences per page, making it a very approachable book for young readers.

If your young reader is already a fan of Hot Rod Hamster, this adventure is guaranteed to entertain. And all young readers who celebrate Halloween will find the book an enjoyable read.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

None

Drugs and Alcohol 

None

Language 

None

Supernatural

Although the characters encounter ghosts during their adventure, the ghosts are portrayed as nothing but friendly.

Spiritual Content 

None

Little Blue Truck’s Halloween

Beep! Beep! It’s Halloween! Follow Little Blue Truck and his good friend Toad as they pick up their animal friends for a costume party. This fun Halloween book will get readers eager to dress up in costumes and enjoy the fall festivities.

The book uses a kid-friendly format, with the first page having four short rhyming lines. The second page repeats the same question, “Under the mask who do you see?” Readers will have fun lifting the flaps of this sturdy board book to find out who’s dressed up in each costume! The last scene shows Blue getting into the holiday spirit by dressing up as a ghost. The silly costumes, such as a cow dressed up as a king, will inspire readers to be creative with their own Halloween costumes.

Little Blue Truck’s Halloween uses simple vocabulary and rhyming that is perfect for young readers. Each illustration uses fall colors with lots of Halloween details such as a full moon, black cats, and jack-o-lanterns. In addition, the forest animals get into the spirit and dress up. For example, one page shows a squirrel dressed up as a witch and a raccoon wearing a colorful hat peeking out of a tree. Adults can encourage children to find the black cat that appears on each page. Add even more fun by having readers count the pumpkins.

Get ready for Halloween by reading Little Blue Truck’s Halloween, which leaves out spooky details and instead focuses on the fun of dressing up in costumes. The interactive book will keep readers entertained again and again. For more Halloween-related books, check out a copy of Dragon’s Halloween by Dav Pilkey and The Halloween Queen by Joan Holub.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

None

Drugs and Alcohol 

None

Language 

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

None

Hot Rod Hamster: Monster Truck Mania!

It’s Fair Day, and Fearless Franco’s famous Monster Truck Mania has come to town. Hot Rod Hamster and his friends are geared up for a roaring, soaring great time, so they set out to find the best ride at the fair. The water boats, spinning teacups, and bumper cars are great, but Hot Rod Hamster can’t seem to find the BEST ride. That is, of course, until Fearless Franco needs a last-minute back-up driver for his monster truck. Can Hot Rod Hamster help him out, and still find the best ride of all? In this rollicking new adventure, Hot Rod Hamster proves once again that being small doesn’t mean you can’t think BIG!

Hot Rod Hamster and his friends, Dog and three mice, enjoy a day at the county fair. To keep readers engaged, they are asked what rides they would choose. For example, when going on the bumper cars, the text reads, “Sports car, race car, fun in outer space car. Cop car, mail car, make the siren wail car. Which would you choose?” The surprise ending will leave readers dreaming about having the perfect treat.

One of the best aspects of this picture book is the detailed and humorous illustrations. The three mice are adorably cute and also funny. Readers will love exploring the pictures to find the mice. In one illustration, the mice are riding tea cups while one mouse is drinking tea, one is holding a clipboard, and one is collecting the doggie treats that are flying out of a bulldog’s cup. Each page is full of bright colors, interesting details, and funny situations.

With one to six sentences per page, Hot Rod Hamster is a quick read. The animal’s dialogue appears in quote bubbles, making it easy to keep track of the speaker. Some of the words appear in large colorful font to highlight each ride’s qualities. All of the fun graphic elements perfectly complement the story’s words. Any child who enjoys going to the fair will love Hot Rod Hamster: Monster Truck Mania! The fun topic, cute animal characters, and interactive text make reading fun. Readers who love trucks should zoom to the library to check out Bulldozer Helps Out by Candace Fleming and Otis and the Puppy by Loren Long.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

None

Drugs and Alcohol 

None

Language 

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

None

Time for School, Little Blue Truck

Little Blue Truck and his good friend Toad are excited to meet a bright yellow school bus on the road. They see all the animals lined up in the school bus’s many windows, and Blue wishes he could be a school bus too. What a fun job—but it is too big a job for a little pickup like Blue. Or is it? For when somebody misses the bus, it’s up to Blue to get his friend to school on time. Beep! Beep! Vroom!

When Piggy misses the school bus, Little Blue zooms in to help. Since the bus is so far ahead, Little Blue takes a different path—through a forest full of animals that readers will have fun finding. Little Blue makes it to school at just the right time and when the school bus sees Little Blue Bus, he says, “You’re not big, not yellow, not long and wide, but you had room for a friend inside. You did this job your very own way. We needed a tough little truck today!”

Get ready to use your animal voices, because Time for School, Little Blue is full of fun words to say! The book is full of animal sounds and other onomatopoeia. It also rhymes, which makes it great to read aloud. Each page has two to four short lines of large text, and each number and onomatopoeia is in a different color font. The illustrations use bright colors and are full of details, showing the wonder of nature with flying bugs, flowers, and animals that appear on almost every page.

Young readers will love how Little Blue helps his friend get to school. In the end, the yellow bus and Little Blue both get student to school, but they do it in their own unique way. Time for School, Little Blue is a great read to get young readers excited about going to school.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

None

Drugs and Alcohol 

None

Language 

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

None

PAW Patrol: The Clean, Green Rescue!

The PAW Patrol is helping fix up Main Street Park for the We Love the Earth Fun Fair! The pups are extra excited for Luke Star’s concert. But that night, a big storm hits Adventure Bay. Lightning strikes a big oak tree and Farmer Al can’t make it to the fair. But don’t worry, the PAW patrol is on the roll!

Before the day is over, another call comes in from Cap’n Turbot. Litter is covering the beach! If the litter isn’t cleaned up fast, turtles and seals might think the floating bags are food. Cap’n Turbot and the pups get right to work. Zuma even uses his hovercraft to collect litter from the ocean. This section shows the importance of picking up and recycling trash.

But the PAW Patrol’s work isn’t finished. Luke Star is stuck in a mudslide! He’ll never make it in time without the PAW Patrol’s help. Everyone must work together to make sure the We Love the Earth Fun Fair is fun for everyone! At the end of the day, Luke Star calls Ryder and the pups on the stage and dedicates a song to them! With teamwork, the PAW Patrol saves the day!

The Clean, Green Rescue! is an environmentally focused book that shows the importance of teamwork and conservation. Each new conflict shows how people can do small things to help save the planet. For example, when a tree falls into the road, Farmer Al says, “[The tree] was two hundred years old. Squirrels, deer, and other animals ate the acorns that fell from its branches. Birds, bugs, and animals lived inside the tree, too. It helped clean our air, and it gave us shade.” When Farmer Al uses the wood to make a picnic table, he enforces the importance of reusing items instead of wasting them.

When Luke Star gets stuck in the mud, readers learn about the effects of global warming. Ryder explains, “The weather is warmer this year. The snow melted quickly and loosened the dirt that held the rocks. The storm washed everything down the hill.” While the book doesn’t explore the topic in more detail, readers are reminded to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

The Clean, Green Rescue! is the perfect book for an adult to read to their child. Each page has one to seven sentences, but beginning readers will need help with the advanced sentence structure and some of the more difficult vocabulary. Full-page illustrations use bright colors that will help readers imagine the events in the story.

The Clean, Green Rescue! uses familiar PAW Patrol characters to highlight the need to be environmentally conscious. While the pups work hard to save the day, when the work is over everyone enjoys the concert. The Clean, Green Rescue! is an engaging story that reminds readers of the importance of taking care of the environment. Because facts are incorporated into the story, the lessons never feel like a lecture. To reinforce the environmental lessons in The Clean, Green Rescue!, readers should also read Rocket Says Clean Up! by Nathan Bryon.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

None

Drugs and Alcohol 

None

Language 

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

None

Construction Site: Taking Flight!

When an airport needs an expansion, the Construction Site crew is on the job! With help from fun new vehicles from the airport, they’ll build new roads and runways, prep planes for their trips, and clean up after a surprise snowstorm.

The airport is a busy place—Belt Loader, Tractor, Snowplow, and many other vehicles pull the planes, pump the fuel, move the luggage, maintain the runways, and much more. Working together, the team will get all the planes in the air in time for a sweet and sleepy goodnight.

Anyone who loves trucks will want to read Construction Site: Taking Flight. The picture book shows how each truck uses its special talent to complete specific parts of the job. For example, Excavator “digs and scoops to make a hole—a huge foundation, wide and deep.” Once Excavator completes his part of the job, Loader and Dump Truck work together to “haul the dirt away.” Even though expanding the airport is a huge job, by working together, the trucks finish the task. This reinforces the value of teamwork and the joy of a job well done.

Some readers may be overwhelmed with all of the activity taking place at the airport because the story doesn’t only focus on the construction project. The book also includes trucks that help keep the airport running smoothly, such as trucks that carry luggage, trucks that pull “a plane away to tech,” cargo planes, a rubber removal machine, and others. There is also a snow removal team that works hard to clear the runway. The airport is a busy place, which is reflected in the story.

Even though Construction Site: Taking Flight is a picture book, it is intended to be read aloud to children instead of having them read it independently. The story uses rhyming and onomatopoeia, which make the story fun to read. The illustrations use primary colors and show each vehicle with a smile on its face. Each page has one to four sentences that keep the story flowing at a fast pace.

In the conclusion of Construction Site: Taking Flight, the trucks “roll into bed, drift off to sleep, and dream of flight.” The book’s conclusion makes it the perfect bedtime story. After playing hard all day, little readers will want to snuggle up and drift off to sleep, just like the trucks. And after reading Construction Site: Taking Flight, readers will dream of all the places they could go.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

None

Drugs and Alcohol 

None

Language 

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

None

Hot Rod Hamster

At noon at Four Paws Speedway, there will be a hot rod race. Gruff dogs in large, flame-painted cars will compete for first prize. Joining them on the finish line will be a racer who, despite his tiny size, stands out among the others. It is this little hamster’s dream to win the race. However, if he is going to stand a chance against his competitors, he will need to build a hot rod that is faster than all of his competitors. The morning of the race, Hamster visits his friend Dog, who lives in a junkyard full of car parts. With Hamster’s customization and Dog’s mechanical skills, the two build a hot rod capable of winning the race.

Hot Rod Hamster presents young readers with a fun and light-hearted story that shows the importance of following your passion. Hamster’s competitors say he is too small to win the race. Despite this, with the support of his friends, Hamster listens to his heart and takes a risk that pays off. While the story is enjoyable on its own, it is Lord’s narration that makes the book truly unique. A former elementary school teacher, Lord employs a rhyming scheme that makes the process of reading fun for young readers. With each car part Hamster chooses, Lord asks the reader which choice they would make. For example, when Hamster decides on the model of his hot rod, Lord narrates, “Old car, new car, shiny painted blue car, rust car, clean car, itty-bitty green car. Which would you choose?” This allows the reader to feel like an active part of the book. Along with this, each page contains only one to five simple sentences.

Derek Anderson, a prolific illustrator of children’s books, draws the pictures. If Hamster’s unwavering passion and determination are not enough to attach readers to the character, they are sure to be won over by Anderson’s cute and fluffy portrayal of the book’s protagonist. Anderson’s effort and attention to detail are apparent on each page. For example, Dog’s junkyard is filled with shiny engines, rusty cars, and cracked windshields, while each car in the climactic race is painted with vivid and eye-catching colors.

Hot Rod Hamster is an entertaining book that moves along at a fittingly quick pace. If you are looking for a quick and charming story that your young reader will have fun reading, Hot Rod Hamster will not disappoint. Young readers who love trucks can meet more loveable trucks by reading Bulldozer Helps Out by Candace Fleming and Go, Go, Trucks! by Jennifer Liberts.

 Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

None

Drugs and Alcohol 

None

Language 

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

None

Hot Rod Hamster and the Wacky Whatever Race!

Hot Rod Hamster LOVES to drive superfast. And today he’s building a box car from scratch to race downhill in the Wacky Whatever Race. He needs to pick out a box, wheels, and a paint color for his car. Can you help him?

With the same bouncing rhythms, fun choice rhymes, and daredevil antics that made the picture book so popular, this original Level 2 reader will be a sturdy stepping-stone for Hot Rod Hamster fans as well as series newcomers as they move on to independent reading. The years Cynthia Lord spent as a first-grade teacher have given her the perfect sense of what language and storylines work best for emerging readers. This new adventure skillfully emphasizes word families and rhyming structures with pedal-to-the-metal flare!

Join Hot Rod Hamster as he builds his race car with help from his friends, Dog, and three mice. To keep readers engaged, they are asked to help Hot Rod Hamster decide what items he should use to build his race car. For example, which type of box should be used—a big box, a long box, a tall box, or a small box? Which would you choose?

On the day of the exciting race, Hot Rod Hamster’s car starts to slow down. Young readers will love how the creative hamster finds a way to stay in the race.

To make the story accessible to young readers, the story uses simple sentences and illustrations on every page. Each page has a large illustration that uses primary colors. Humor is added through the characters’ facial expressions. Hot Rod Hamster’s three mice friends also appear on every page. Even though they’re small, they help build the car and cheer for Hot Rod Hamster as he runs the race.

Hot Rod Hamster will win the hearts of young readers as he races to the finish line. The fast-paced story teaches readers about shapes, sizes, and colors in a way that makes learning fun. Young readers will be eager to read all of the books in the Hot Rod Hamster Series. For more hamster fun, check out Pets on the Loose! by Victoria Jamieson and Max & Mo Make a Snowman by Patricia Lakin.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

None

Drugs and Alcohol 

None

Language 

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

None

Bulldozer Helps Out

The construction site bustled.
Cement Truck was stirring . . . stirring . . . stirring.
Digger Truck was scooping . . . scooping . . . scooping.
Crane Truck was lifting . . . lifting . . . lifting.

It’s a busy day at the construction site! Everyone is stirring, scooping, and lifting, and Bulldozer is . . . watching. Bulldozer wants to help, but can he handle a rough, tough job for a rough, tough truck? When Bulldozer gets his chance, the whole team is in for a big surprise.

Readers will instantly connect with Bulldozer, who just wants to help. However, when Bulldozer offers to help, he gets a variety of answers: “You’ll get hurt,” or, “You’re too little.” Finally, the other trucks give Bulldozer a job. However, at the end of the day when the trucks go to check on Bulldozer, they discover that “he hadn’t done a single thing they’d asked!” The surprise ending will delight young readers and show that Bulldozer is up for a “rough, tough job!”

Bulldozer Helps Out uses simple illustrations and bold colors that will captivate readers by making Bulldozer and the other trucks seem like friends. Each page has a full-page illustration and three to nine sentences. Despite this, readers will not become bored by the story because many of the sentences use fun elements such as alliteration, dialogue, and truck sounds.

Bulldozer Helps Out shows readers that sometimes being rough and tough means being caring. The fun story will have wide appeal because Bulldozer is a relatable character with a conflict that young children will empathize with. For more truck-related books, rumble to the library and pick up a copy of Go, Go, Trucks! by Jennifer Liberts

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

None

Drugs and Alcohol 

None

Language 

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content 

None

Go, Go, Trucks!

A brother and sister use their imagination as they find all different kinds of trucks—big trucks, small trucks, trucks in snow, and trucks in the dirt. When they go for a ride with their dad, they see even more trucks! These two siblings can’t get enough of trucks. If your young readers love trucks of all kinds, then Go, Go Trucks is the perfect book for them.

Go, Go Trucks is intended to be read by preschool and kindergarten aged children. With big font, easy words, and rhyming, this book will introduce readers to different types of trucks. Most of the pages have one simple sentence such as, “Yummy food truck!” Plus, the fun, full-page illustrations help the reader understand the words. While the story does not have a typical plot, readers will love seeing all the different types of trucks. From toy trucks to fire trucks, readers will discover that trucks have all different purposes.

Young readers will enjoy the illustrations of different types of trucks including food trucks, garbage trucks, and snowplows. The book doesn’t give information about the trucks, but young readers will still enjoy the illustrations. Plus, the low word count makes Go, Go Truck a quick read-aloud book for busy parents.

Sexual Content