My Truck is Stuck! [Hardcover]

Kevin Lewis (Author), Daniel Kirk (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: August 12, 2002 | Age Range: 2 - 5 years | Lexile Measure: 200L (What's this?)

My Truck Is Stuck. Rotten luck. Can't go! My truck is stuck. Tug and tow. Two engines roar. But the truck won't go. Not one inch more. Does anyone know how to make my stuck truck go? In this lyrical read-aloud, young drivers are introduced to the ins and outs of hauling, beeping, and repairing -- get ready for a fun ride!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

How many engines does it take to get a pothole-ambushed dump truck unstuck? Readers travel through a stretch of desert road with canines at the wheel before arriving at a shaggy dog of an answer. The pooch driver flags down four vehicles in succession (all driven by various breeds) in hopes of getting a hand (or paw) to "make my stuck truck go." But even with the five vehicles tied together and gunning in unison, the result is a bust: "Lug and lurch. Tug and tow./ 5 engines roar./ The truck won't go." Kirk's illustrations create a subplot: the same culprits (gophers) who dig the hole in which the truck gets stuck also make off with its load (a truckbed full of bones), bit by bit, spread by spread. When Mr. Mechanic shows up with his tow truck, everyone soon heads on their way-though the newly freed truck carries a dramatically lighter load. The formulaic narrative and stark landscape may not have as much of the magical pull as the team's first joint effort, Chugga-Chugga Choo-Choo, but this year's model still offers plenty. Lewis gets impressive aural mileage from his simple rhymes, while Kirk soups up his streamlined oil paintings with comic nuance. The dog characterizations are a stitch, and youngsters will enjoy the subtle jokes (a moving van's motto is "Ruff & Reddy," with a red bulldog mascot) along the way. A load of fun. Ages 2-5.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-K-In this rhyming tale, two dogs in baseball caps and overalls haul a load of bones in their dump truck. They haven't gone very far before their wheel hits an enormous pothole. "Rotten luck. Can't go!/My truck is stuck," laments the driver. The two canines run after passersby, yelling: "Help!/Please help!/Does anyone know/how to make/my stuck truck go?" Some counting practice slips in as a series of progressively larger vehicles all try to "heft and haul," "tug and tow," "drag and draw" the truck out of the hole, but to no avail. Then, Mr. Mechanic shows up in his tow truck. The bright, full-page artwork, done with oil paint over sand and modeling paste on masonite, is full of humorous detail. The visuals will draw children in to the story, as they realize that unbeknownst to the drivers, a group of prairie dogs has made off with their load. This entertaining choice will please young truck lovers, and is sure to produce lots of laughs at storyhour.
Melinda Piehler, North Tonawanda Public Library, NY
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 2 - 5 years
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH; 1ST edition (August 12, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078680534X
• ISBN-13: 978-0786805341
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 0.4 x 11.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (151 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,036 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > Children's Books > Transportation > Cars & Trucks

More About the Author

Kevin Lewis is the author of My Truck Is Stuck!, The Lot at the End of My Block, and Chugga-Chugga Choo-Choo. He is a children'Â’s book editor and lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable even after the 1000th time! April 24, 2003

By Kalan

Format:Hardcover

"Rotten Luck! My truck is stuck!"
Colorful & rhyming. Two dogs driving a loaded truck on a desert road, get driven into a hole! They ask travelers traveling in a car, Movers in a van & a school bus for help! but the truck wont go! Until the tow truck arrives to rescue the day. My 3 year old son just loves it. A must for your home library.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars We love this so much I had to buy my son his own copy November 20, 2005

By S. Bookworm

Format:Hardcover

We LOVE this book. It is an account of a dump truck which gets stuck in a hole, and all the vehicles which try to get it out. The twist: the truck is driven by a dog and carries a load of bones. Praire dogs have dug the hole in order to steal the bones, which they procede to do as the driver and helper vehicles, and text, all focus on getting the truck out of the hole. So the truck eventually gets out but the bones are gone! The text rhymes, the pictures are fantastic, the story is funny (at least both myself, my husband, my 5 year old daughter who isn't even into trucks, and my 3 year old son think so)and of course it's full of trucks and cars. Guarenteed to delight toddlers and preschoolers who like things that go, and their parents.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars 3 yr old son loves this book August 10, 2004

By DD67

Format:Hardcover

This book is so funny. My 3 yr old has a good sense of humor and loves that this Truck got stuck in a pothole that is dug out by some very naughty ground hogs. Even funnier the truck is carrying bones. And as the truck driver stops several vehicles to help pull him out the naughty ground hogs are carrying away the bones. Finally, a tow truck arrives to save the day. "Help!!! My Truck is Stuck!". My husband loves reading this book to my son. Great illustrations and several colorful vehicles make this a great book for even a very young child.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a book our 2 year old son slows down for September 28, 2003

By bookwormz

Format:Hardcover

Concerned that our two year old was never going to slow down to listen to a story, we ordered this book because it was about a subject near and dear to his heart...trucks. My husband and I were instantly impressed by the bold, colorful illustrations. We opened the book and started reading it and our son stopped what he was doing to come sit and listen and look. After only two readings, he repeats many of the rhyming lines as he flips through the book on his own and asks us to read the book every night now. This book has it all, rhyme, reinforcement of numbers, great pictures, a subject matter that is of special interest to most boys (though I think girls could love it too), and the neatest part is that the illustrations tell a story that the words do not point out. I love the fact that this allows you to talk with your child about why the truck got stuck. This is truly a neat book and I think Lewis and Kirk deserve an award for this one. Can't wait to get Chugga Chugga Choo Choo.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My son LOVES this book! August 9, 2006

By Mom of Two

Format:Hardcover

My son, almost 3 now, has been helping us read this book to him for most of the past year now. He loves to count the vehicles and pick out the details-like the dog blowing bubbles. It has been his favorite book since the day we got it. I recommend this book to anyone with a little boy who likes his trucks.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars GreatBooksLover April 5, 2012

By Math Teacher

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Our 2 1/2 son seems to really like it (he likes all cars/trucks), but the rhymes are very choppy plus my tongue gets stuck reading it. I compose my own verses for our son, and cannot believe this book was even published. Its grammatically incorrect verses do not impress me. The illustrations are also a bit crude. If your child likes cars, choose another book like "Good night, good night construction site."

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful January 25, 2012

By mllizak

Format:Hardcover

I purchased this book 6 1/2 years ago for my first son! It has gone through 3 children and it was a favorite for all of them! What a brilliant book! It is now starting to fall apart (after reading it over 1000 times I'm sure) and I want to replace it!! We still read it at least a couple of times a week. It never gets boring!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Truck lovers everywhere rejoice! July 27, 2006

By Maria Poole VINE™ VOICE

Format:Board book|Amazon Verified Purchase

Why I hesitated on buying this book for my 20 month old is beyond me. The vibrant colors used on each and every page are worth the purchase alone. I didn't realize that the book would also teach counting from 1 to 5 since it takes several different vehicles to get the truck unstuck. It is sure to nuture the love of reading in your child and you won't mind reading it over and over either.