A Fire Truck for Chuck

PreS-Gr 1--Chuck and his mother visit a yard sale and to the preschooler's delight, there is a fire truck for sale for a buck. Chuck and his new toy quickly become inseparable and even talk to each other in their language of "Wee-ou-wee-ou-wee ou." After a muddy adventure, Chuck's mom takes the vehicle into another room for a cleaning and Chuck thinks it is time to play hide-and-seek. Chuck frantically searches the house and worries that it may have been "sucked up" by the vacuum. His mother saves the day by returning a clean fire truck to Chuck just in time for bed. Rhyming text that repeats words with a "-uck" ending are a constant throughout, creating a nice flow to the text. This a good choice for beginning readers who will appreciate the repetition and recognize some of the sight words. The cartoon illustrations are colorful and vibrant and allow viewers to experience Chuck's varying emotions. VERDICT Recommended for general purchase for picture book collections, storytime favorites, and beginning readers.--Kristen Todd-Wurm, Middle Country Public Library, NY