This Truck Has Got to Be Special

by Anjum Rana, Hakeem Nawaz (Visual Art), Amer Khan (Visual Art)

“This truck has got to be special!” says truck artist Zarrar to Chinar Gul, a truck driver from Pakistan. Gul—who drives along the mountain roads of the Karakoram and the Hindu Kush—has finally acquired his own vehicle and wants it painted beautifully. As Zarrar gets to work, Gul waits in the yard, thinking about his many journeys, the splendor of the hills and the intricacies of truck art—until everything is at last ready and it’s time to be off, on the road again!

A richly imagined collaboration between a Pakistani writer, truck artists and an Indian illustrator, this book celebrates the energy and joy of Pakistani truck art as well as the artists whose skill and labor breathe life into it. All along, the bold graphic vigor of truck art tells its own story.

Genres: Art, Picture Books

56 pages, Hardcover

First published July 11, 2017

Reviews

[Smitha Murthy]

There was a time in my life when I was on the Karakorum Highway near the border of Pakistan and Tajikistan. Lonely passes stretched out in front of us. The desert on one side - snow-capped mountains on the other. One of the most beautiful places I have ever visited in my life, and I was so happy to revisit that through Anjum Rana’s exquisite ‘This Truck Has Got To Be Special.’ Living in South India, I don’t really come across the brightly painted trucks that you might find in northern India. So, it was a pleasure to peel the pages of this ode to art.

Rana’s story of the truck art of Pakistan comes to life through some gorgeous drawings, bringing to vivid life the life of the truckers as they navigate the same roads that I once drove on all those years ago, and the same roads that have etched memories for centuries. A coffee-table special, this one.

[Sonaksha]

My love for Sameer Kulavoor's work is no surprise, but what was incredible about this is how he kept his language at bay while letting the truck artists make the magic on paper as they do on trucks everyday! Tara Books does it again. Absolutely love the idea and the way it perfectly rolls out. It was so heart warming to learn about truck art and all the force and energy that goes into it.

Something so magical about each page. In fact, if possible I would frame each one.

[Padma Baliga]

Wonderful story of a Pakistani cleaner turned truck owner, recounting his life and his pride in owning his own truck which is now being painted.

Am giving it four stars only because of a couple of instances of casual sexism - not welcome anywhere, especially in a children's book

[Erin]

This reads like an interview, which made it a pretty unique experience. Showcasing both the truck artists and the truck drivers, this story opens a window onto Pakistani culture. I loved the truck art, and found the trucker's life on the road to be interesting.

[Jen]

What an incredible collaboration, telling the story of Pakistan trucks that are astounding works of art. I appreciated the emphasis on the life of a truck driver and of a truck artist as well.

[Sandhya Rao]

11/52: a book set in a country you'd like to visit

celebration of Pakistani truck art. also interesting details from the life of a typical truck driver. beautiful book

[BiblioBickie]

Beautiful glimpse into the life of a Pakistani truck driver. As he waits a few days for the truck that he now owns free and clear to be painted by Zarrar, a gifted truck artist, Chinar Gul reminisces and ruminates about various aspects of his life (how it feels to drive, his favorite roads, missing his wife and children, what imagery he likes and doesn't like, needing to have faith in the artist). I did not like the line at the end of the first page, "A painted truck is like a decorated bride who is waiting for you at home." ICK. But the rest of it was lovely. Best for age 10+ (besides the "decorated bride" line, the text is somewhat challenging as it is a little bit stream-of-consciousness, and it can take some time for a reader to get one's bearings).