I'm Dirty!

As they did in "I Stink!" and "I'm Mighty!", these creative collaborators introduce a spunky anthropomorphic character -in this case a backhoe loader who relishes his dirty work. "Who's got a boom, a dipper stick, and a bucket with a row of chompers? "Me"! And that's just my "rear" end," he announces proudly. After a flatbed truck carries him to a lot filled with discarded items, the backhoe digs in with gusto, providing an alliterative countdown as he cleans up 10 torn-up truck tires, nine fractured fans, eight busted beach umbrellas, etc. "Hope ya like noise," he says gleefully, as he drops his load in a dumpster, creating quite a din (""Clank! Bang! Bong! Clunk!""). The cheerful, chatty fellow then uproots a tree stump ("Aw Stumpie -loosen up") and fills in the hole, a job he deems a "piece of cake. Make that a "mud "cake with dirt sprinkles and a scoop of Rocky Road." After taking a mud bath and flattening out the lot, the machine, much to his delight, is dirty indeed. Energetic illustrations capture these mucky goings-on with a large dollop of humor, as type of varying sizes cavorts playfully across the pages. Abundant sound effects make this a high-spirited read-aloud. Ages 4-8. "(Sept.)" Copyright 2006 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

PreS-Gr 2 -With a style familiar to fans of "I -m Mighty!" (2003) and "I Stink!" (2002, both HarperCollins), McMullan introduces a sassy backhoe loader who relishes his dirty job. He brags about his equipment and then heads to work, where he cleans up an abandoned lot. -Cleaning up this mess? Easy as pie. Make that a "MUD" pie. - Counting down from 10 to 1, the backhoe removes the alliterative trash: -4 cat-clawed couches, - -3 scuffed-up signs, - -2 tossed-out toilet seats, - -1 wonky washing machine. - Then, he pulls out a tree stump, takes a mud bath, and back-drags his bucket over the dirt. Throughout the story, the machine becomes progressively dirtier, with a repeating motif of mud. The text flies about the pages, changing size, shape, and orientation. With its saucy tone and dynamic color cartoon illustrations, this picture book exudes energy." -Suzanne Myers Harold, Multnomah County Library System, Portland, OR" Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.