Truck Stop by Anne Rockwell (review)

The young narrator accompanies his parents each day as they open their truck stop for the breakfast crowd. All the regulars pull in: Sam in the eighteen-wheeler wants eggs, bacon, and coffee; Maisie in the milk truck is a coffee and doughnuts gal; “Diligent Dan” in his moving van favors sausage and pancakes. Everybody notices that Green Gus in his rickety old pickup hasn’t made his usual appearance, though, and by the time the school bus picks up the narrator, he’s pretty worried. Fortunately, he spies Green Gus broken down at the side of the road and urges the school bus driver to call for Uncle Marty, back at the truck-stop garage, to arrange for a tow. This is hearty, satisfying pre- and primary school fare, with a tasty menu, a concerned community, diverse rolling stock, and a sharp-eyed kid who performs a realistic service. Iwai’s painted and cut-paper collage has the toylike charm of a Fisher-Price playworld, complete with a friendly, round-headed cast and candy colored vehicles. A natural prompt for creative play, this could also encourage prediction-making in a curricular setting.