Monster Trucks

On hiatus from their Halloween activities, various monsters “shift into a different gear” by taking on roadside work. Debut author Keller gets plenty of mileage from the titular pun, playfully matching monsters to appropriate trucks: a yeti sits behind the wheel of a snowplow, a witch “trades in her trusty broom” for a street sweeper, and a mummy rides an ambulance (“She’ll patch each monster’s bump and scrape/ with lots of bandages and tape”). In digital drawings with thick, chunky lines reminiscent of woodblock prints, Saburi shows each creature hard (and happily) at work. Keller offers extra reassurance for readers who may worry about a visit from this spooky bunch: “At rest in your bed, tucked in tight,/ don’t fear these monsters in the night.” After a hard day’s work, they are “much too tired to crawl and creep.” Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Mary Cummings, Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises. Illustrator’s agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Agency. (Aug.)