Food Trucks!

Todd follows 2003’s Monster Trucks! with an ode to a category of vehicles that wasn’t even in the public consciousness when the previous book was published. Now, food trucks are omnipresent in many American cities, offering grilled cheese, tacos, and more for citizens on the go. Todd profiles 14 vehicles, giving each a name, brief poem, and large anthropomorphic portrait in a bold cartooning style that recalls the urban-themed books of Brian Biggs and Robert Neubecker. There’s Mr. Cobb, a “green powered” salad truck with tomatoes and broccoli bursting from its roof and what appears to be a kale tailfin (kalefin?). On the other end of the spectrum, a powder blue ice-cream truck, Ice Queen, grins manically (“You’re in luck!/ The ice cream truck/ Is heading to your neighborhood”). Floating cloud-shaped captions share tidbits about food-themed holidays, potentially unfamiliar dishes (like couscous and naan), and various real-life food trucks. While a few of the rhymes feel forced (“Try the samosa/ A pastry that most love”), there’s plenty of personality in Todd’s quirky fleet of trucks. Ages 4–8. [em]Agent: Jason Grode, Grodehouse. (June) [/em]