February 10 Book of the Month

Introducing Planet Silas' February '10 Book of the Month:

Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry.

A small blue truck finds his way out of a jam, with a little help from his friends.

We recently checked this book out from the library and it was an instant hit. Silas literally shakes with excitement when I read it to him. Little Blue Truck is just the happiest, friendliest truck to ever come rolling by. All of the animals adore him...but they aren't too keen on the big dump truck who comes roaring by, without any regard for others.
When the dump get's stuck in the mud, it looks like no one will help him...until Little Blue Truck comes along.

By the end of the story, all is resolved. Lesson learned: be nice to others, they'll be nice to you. I always try to emphasize this point with Silas, and I'm hoping it's seeping in through his ears to his brain. But honestly, what he truly loves about this book isn't really its message (he's not even three yet, mind you), it's the wonderful warm illustrations, the variety of animals, and the attempts I make at giving each one a distinct voice. And it's Little Blue Truck, for no other reason than that he lets all of the animals climb on board and have a ride at the end. In Silas's mind, there is nothing better than a big green toad driving a bunch of farm animals around in a pick-up truck. Where the book leaves off, Silas' imagination takes off. And isn't that what we want books to do?