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Elbow Grease
Elbow Grease
From superstar entertainer John Cena comes a new picture-book series all about perseverance and believing in yourself, featuring a little monster truck named Elbow Grease!
Meet Elbow Grease, a little monster truck with a big problem! He's smaller than his four brothers, but wants to prove that he has the guts and the grit to do big things. He decides that entering the Demolition Derby is the perfect way to show everyone that what he lacks in horsepower he makes up for in gumption. From multi-talented mega celebrity John Cena comes this exciting story about the importance of believing in yourself and never giving up. Full of high-octane illustrations and a new character kids will cheer for, this fun and fast-paced book proves that a little Elbow Grease . . . can go a long way!
Meet Elbow Grease, a little monster truck with a big problem! He's smaller than his four brothers, but wants to prove that he has the guts and the grit to do big things. He decides that entering the Demolition Derby is the perfect way to show everyone that what he lacks in horsepower he makes up for in gumption. From multi-talented mega celebrity John Cena comes this exciting story about the importance of believing in yourself and never giving up. Full of high-octane illustrations and a new character kids will cheer for, this fun and fast-paced book proves that a little Elbow Grease . . . can go a long way!
40 pages, Hardcover
First published October 9, 2018
14 people are currently reading
247 people want to read
About the author
John Cena
309 books77 followersJohn Felix Anthony Cena Jr. is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, author and television host.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
February 10, 2019
A tale of perseverance, embracing individual differences, and empowerment through learning. Never stop trying!
July 14, 2019
It appears that John Cena, in the midst of his own successful and varied entertainment career, felt inspired by the great Richard Scarry to write this picture book. I see some similarity of style, though mostly in Howard McWilliam's superb illustrations. A small blue truck who isn't athletically gifted like his four brothers, Elbow Grease dreams of earning fame as a professional racer, but lacks speed and stamina. His brother Tank is tough, Flash is quick, Pinball is crafty, and Crash is fearless, but Elbow Grease has none of these traits. What hope does he have of becoming a champion?
Elbow Grease is a good sport about his brothers' teasing, but eventually he grows annoyed and heads off on his own to the Monster Truck Grand Prix. The legendary Big Wheels McGee has committed to compete there; if Elbow Grease wins this race, his reputation will be set. The event doesn't go as Elbow Grease fantasized, though. He's not ready to compete with the world's biggest, fastest trucks, but he can still finish the race even after any chance of winning is gone. Maybe someday Elbow Grease will be a winner, or maybe not, but he already possesses something many racers never have: gumption. Win or lose, competition can be fulfilling if you give every ounce of effort at your disposal.
The story is humorous, if not as streamlined as it could be. Howard McWilliam's artwork is a treat for the eyes, the best part of Elbow Grease, in my opinion. Have you felt overlooked and underrated, dismissed as someone who will never amount to much in an activity you're passionate about? Then this little blue truck's story might serve as encouragement. Elbow Grease isn't extraordinary, but it's worth reading. I'd rate it one and a half stars.
Elbow Grease is a good sport about his brothers' teasing, but eventually he grows annoyed and heads off on his own to the Monster Truck Grand Prix. The legendary Big Wheels McGee has committed to compete there; if Elbow Grease wins this race, his reputation will be set. The event doesn't go as Elbow Grease fantasized, though. He's not ready to compete with the world's biggest, fastest trucks, but he can still finish the race even after any chance of winning is gone. Maybe someday Elbow Grease will be a winner, or maybe not, but he already possesses something many racers never have: gumption. Win or lose, competition can be fulfilling if you give every ounce of effort at your disposal.
The story is humorous, if not as streamlined as it could be. Howard McWilliam's artwork is a treat for the eyes, the best part of Elbow Grease, in my opinion. Have you felt overlooked and underrated, dismissed as someone who will never amount to much in an activity you're passionate about? Then this little blue truck's story might serve as encouragement. Elbow Grease isn't extraordinary, but it's worth reading. I'd rate it one and a half stars.
July 30, 2020
Featured in grandma reads session. . . .
Picture book with flashy trucks. . .little brother is Elbow Grease who with a little effort bests them all. They are later set to take advice from little brother. We all learn from each other regardless of our gifts or talents. We just need to stay open and not stereotype or label. Listen and learn.
Kids liked it, said it reminded them of "Cars."
3 stars.
Picture book with flashy trucks. . .little brother is Elbow Grease who with a little effort bests them all. They are later set to take advice from little brother. We all learn from each other regardless of our gifts or talents. We just need to stay open and not stereotype or label. Listen and learn.
Kids liked it, said it reminded them of "Cars."
3 stars.
Read
January 13, 2024that's right, i'm counting picture books that i read at work towards my reading goal. john cena managed to use the word GUMPTION (in all caps) at least 4 times in this book.
March 25, 2019
John Cena wrote a kids book?! That's cool! This book is very inspiring for all the little ones out there.
May 24, 2022
Loved it!
December 8, 2018
I saw this advertised on TV, and being a fan of John Cena's from Total Divas and seeing him on the Today Show with Kathie Lee and Hoda, I wanted to read it.
This was inspired from his four brothers. One is faster, one is smarter, one's tougher and one's braver.
I loved the humor. John is actually really funny, so I should have expected it in here. When his brothers are described as all those things, Elbow Grease thinks "okay we get the point."
He tries to be tougher, faster, smarter and braver, with bad results. The illustrations show him running into a wall, with a rocket tied to his back, driving through cones, going through a hoop of fire.
The name of the monster truck Big Wheels McGee was funny!
I know one of the brothers is smarter, but the language was too advanced for kids: 'he's got a lithium-ion battery, which required an external power source for daily recharging.'
'Your technique and experience are insufficient to compete at a professional level.'
When his brothers find out he wants to join the monster truck race, they say he's too small, too slow, doesn't have enough technique and experience. Tank says "you're too...um..." and it was funny Elbow Grease says "don't hurt yourself, Tank."
I was surprised when he joins the race immediately. I thought he would train and build up to it.
I really liked how despite the fact that the other trucks were bigger, faster, had better technique and more experience, Elbow Grease never gave up.
I could hear Crack-a-Lack-a and Boom-shock-a-lock-a in John's voice.
I thought Elbow Grease would win the race. It was more realistic when he didn't.
Big Wheels McGee told him he had gumption, and that his brothers could learn a lot from him.
Mel said that if you only stick with what you're good at, you'll never learn anything. I believe the message was to try new things, and push yourself so you can keep learning.
It says if your problem seems too big or too hard, remember a little elbow grease goes a long way.
The end scene was a little confusing at first. It looked like Elbow Grease was teaching them with an obstacle course. I thought they were doing things they were already good at, so I didn't understand why they were suddenly having trouble with them. Then I realized the brothers were trying out each other's specialties.
Tank was doing the obstacle course that the smart one, Pinball, did. The smart one, Pinball, was jumping through fire like the brave one, Crash, did. The fast one, Flash, was going through walls like the tough one, Tank, did. And the brave one, Crash, was looking for safety regulations like the fast one, Flash did, I think.
You have to keep up with the different trucks, their names, and which one was good at what.
There was even a lesson with The End. Elbow Grease says it's never the end, because you should never give up, never quit, keep going, keep trying, because you can do it.
The illustrations were different, sort of like movie animation. The scene of him on the road racing to the Grand Prix looked real with the cars on the highway, and the buildings and signs.
I loved the mint green color in the inside cover.
This is full of messages and lessons, about not worrying if you're different from others, about not giving up, working hard. This seemed geared more towards boys because of the content, but it would be good for girls, too. Also, anyone who's a fan of John Cena would enjoy this as well. I read some lines in his voice, and I could feel his presence in the content.
This was inspired from his four brothers. One is faster, one is smarter, one's tougher and one's braver.
I loved the humor. John is actually really funny, so I should have expected it in here. When his brothers are described as all those things, Elbow Grease thinks "okay we get the point."
He tries to be tougher, faster, smarter and braver, with bad results. The illustrations show him running into a wall, with a rocket tied to his back, driving through cones, going through a hoop of fire.
The name of the monster truck Big Wheels McGee was funny!
I know one of the brothers is smarter, but the language was too advanced for kids: 'he's got a lithium-ion battery, which required an external power source for daily recharging.'
'Your technique and experience are insufficient to compete at a professional level.'
When his brothers find out he wants to join the monster truck race, they say he's too small, too slow, doesn't have enough technique and experience. Tank says "you're too...um..." and it was funny Elbow Grease says "don't hurt yourself, Tank."
I was surprised when he joins the race immediately. I thought he would train and build up to it.
I really liked how despite the fact that the other trucks were bigger, faster, had better technique and more experience, Elbow Grease never gave up.
I could hear Crack-a-Lack-a and Boom-shock-a-lock-a in John's voice.
I thought Elbow Grease would win the race. It was more realistic when he didn't.
Big Wheels McGee told him he had gumption, and that his brothers could learn a lot from him.
Mel said that if you only stick with what you're good at, you'll never learn anything. I believe the message was to try new things, and push yourself so you can keep learning.
It says if your problem seems too big or too hard, remember a little elbow grease goes a long way.
The end scene was a little confusing at first. It looked like Elbow Grease was teaching them with an obstacle course. I thought they were doing things they were already good at, so I didn't understand why they were suddenly having trouble with them. Then I realized the brothers were trying out each other's specialties.
Tank was doing the obstacle course that the smart one, Pinball, did. The smart one, Pinball, was jumping through fire like the brave one, Crash, did. The fast one, Flash, was going through walls like the tough one, Tank, did. And the brave one, Crash, was looking for safety regulations like the fast one, Flash did, I think.
You have to keep up with the different trucks, their names, and which one was good at what.
There was even a lesson with The End. Elbow Grease says it's never the end, because you should never give up, never quit, keep going, keep trying, because you can do it.
The illustrations were different, sort of like movie animation. The scene of him on the road racing to the Grand Prix looked real with the cars on the highway, and the buildings and signs.
I loved the mint green color in the inside cover.
This is full of messages and lessons, about not worrying if you're different from others, about not giving up, working hard. This seemed geared more towards boys because of the content, but it would be good for girls, too. Also, anyone who's a fan of John Cena would enjoy this as well. I read some lines in his voice, and I could feel his presence in the content.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2024
GUMPTION
December 8, 2018
I really enjoyed this book, it’s written by John Cena! Not someone I’d pick to write a picture book, but I suppose celebrities have children too, even wrestlers come actors. Following on from Jimmy Fallon’s books which I did not enjoy, I had low expectations going in. However I was pleasantly surprised. The story was cute and had a nice moral and at first glance the pictures looked like real photo’s, but were actually very acurately drawn pictures. Would recommend.
November 15, 2018
If you're having trouble solving completing a task, stand out in the rain until you get struck by lightning and all your problems will be solved.
October 6, 2018
This was better than I thought it would be. It made me chuckle and had a good ending.
October 25, 2018
Saw this book everywhere, finally decided to give it a read. Pretty good book, definitely a Good Read! :)
January 12, 2019
I think monster truck fans will love this book. It was better than I expected.
December 8, 2018
I'm a fan of John Cena and I thought it was so cool that he had written a children's book. I felt the title Elbow Grease would be about how hard he works because he does so many things and is busy all the time.
The back cover says "A little elbow grease goes a long way." It seemed like it would be an inspirational story with a good message. The summary mentioned that he monster truck was the smallest but he's proud because he always does his best and that's having gumption.
It said this was inspired by John's life with 4 brothers, so there were 4 other monster trucks. Flash and Crash seemed to be about the same as far as dialogue goes. Tank was the "dumb" one and Pinball was the smart one. Tank is tough; Flash is fast; Pinball is smart, and Crash is brave.
I was surprised by the speech bubbles because I didn't know it would have that kind of format so I as surprised. I don't like them myself, because it feels too much like a comic book, but it allowed for some nice thoughts and conversations between characters.
Some of the sentences and phrases didn't work for me. Pinball said "He's got a lithium-ion battery, which requires an external power source for daily recharging."
And "Your technique and experience are insufficient to complete at a professional level."
That was way too smart for a kid's book and they'd have no idea what lithium-ion is or an external power source. Some simpler words should have been chosen.
Elbow Grease used the word jalopies twice to refer to his brothers. He called them that and then 4 pages later called them that again so I would have liked for a new word altogether.
Some of the phrases were too much for me. "Ow-y kazow-y." "Crack-a-lack-a." "Boom-shock-a-lock-a." I could hear John saying this but I'd sure hate to be the one reading this aloud!
During the race he stood in the rain in the storm and the caption said "Oh, rust buckets!" That was cute.
He competed in the race that he had seen a poster of because he was tired of his brothers putting him down and he was determined to do it. He was having trouble, with a low battery and hard obstacles and tough competitors, and his battery died during the storm. But then the lightning jolted his battery back to life and that was a bit much for me, I wondered if lightning could even do that to a battery and that an outside force helped him and it wasn't something he did himself. That part wasn't elbow grease because it wasn't any effort he put out but good luck that happened to him.
So Elbow Grease set out to finish the race no matter what. It wasn't about winning at this point, just finishing. His brothers and his mechanic showed up to see him finish and they realized that most of the trucks didn't finish. One was flipped over before the finish line.
The winning monster truck said "Shift my gears and call me Sally!" and it sounded like a bit of a put-down that he was to be called a girl's name...He told his brothers that they could learn a lot from Elbow Grease because he had gumption, and they couldn't believe that famous truck had said that.
The mechanic said if you only stick with what you're good at you'll never learn anything which was kind of random because the story hadn't been about learning new things; it was about trying hard. This wasn't a story about getting out of your comfort zone so that line didn't fit for me.
The end showed his brothers having trouble on the course while Elbow Grease coached them to have gumption. The last lines said that the next time your problems seems too big or hard, remember that elbow grease goes a long way.
I loved that at "The End" part, Elbow Grease said "What do you mean, "The End"? Haven't you been listening? Never give up! Never quit! Never say "The End"! Keep on going! Keep on trying! You can do it!"
I really liked that and it was a final opportunity to hammer in the message to never quit.
This was inspiring but I admit to being a little disappointed and I expected it to be better. My rating is 2.5 because I didn't really like the speech bubbles and some of the phrasing. The author's note shared that he wanted to teach kids the lesson to never give up whether they win or lose which is really nice. I could see John's sense of humor in some of the lines which was nice.
The back cover says "A little elbow grease goes a long way." It seemed like it would be an inspirational story with a good message. The summary mentioned that he monster truck was the smallest but he's proud because he always does his best and that's having gumption.
It said this was inspired by John's life with 4 brothers, so there were 4 other monster trucks. Flash and Crash seemed to be about the same as far as dialogue goes. Tank was the "dumb" one and Pinball was the smart one. Tank is tough; Flash is fast; Pinball is smart, and Crash is brave.
I was surprised by the speech bubbles because I didn't know it would have that kind of format so I as surprised. I don't like them myself, because it feels too much like a comic book, but it allowed for some nice thoughts and conversations between characters.
Some of the sentences and phrases didn't work for me. Pinball said "He's got a lithium-ion battery, which requires an external power source for daily recharging."
And "Your technique and experience are insufficient to complete at a professional level."
That was way too smart for a kid's book and they'd have no idea what lithium-ion is or an external power source. Some simpler words should have been chosen.
Elbow Grease used the word jalopies twice to refer to his brothers. He called them that and then 4 pages later called them that again so I would have liked for a new word altogether.
Some of the phrases were too much for me. "Ow-y kazow-y." "Crack-a-lack-a." "Boom-shock-a-lock-a." I could hear John saying this but I'd sure hate to be the one reading this aloud!
During the race he stood in the rain in the storm and the caption said "Oh, rust buckets!" That was cute.
He competed in the race that he had seen a poster of because he was tired of his brothers putting him down and he was determined to do it. He was having trouble, with a low battery and hard obstacles and tough competitors, and his battery died during the storm. But then the lightning jolted his battery back to life and that was a bit much for me, I wondered if lightning could even do that to a battery and that an outside force helped him and it wasn't something he did himself. That part wasn't elbow grease because it wasn't any effort he put out but good luck that happened to him.
So Elbow Grease set out to finish the race no matter what. It wasn't about winning at this point, just finishing. His brothers and his mechanic showed up to see him finish and they realized that most of the trucks didn't finish. One was flipped over before the finish line.
The winning monster truck said "Shift my gears and call me Sally!" and it sounded like a bit of a put-down that he was to be called a girl's name...He told his brothers that they could learn a lot from Elbow Grease because he had gumption, and they couldn't believe that famous truck had said that.
The mechanic said if you only stick with what you're good at you'll never learn anything which was kind of random because the story hadn't been about learning new things; it was about trying hard. This wasn't a story about getting out of your comfort zone so that line didn't fit for me.
The end showed his brothers having trouble on the course while Elbow Grease coached them to have gumption. The last lines said that the next time your problems seems too big or hard, remember that elbow grease goes a long way.
I loved that at "The End" part, Elbow Grease said "What do you mean, "The End"? Haven't you been listening? Never give up! Never quit! Never say "The End"! Keep on going! Keep on trying! You can do it!"
I really liked that and it was a final opportunity to hammer in the message to never quit.
This was inspiring but I admit to being a little disappointed and I expected it to be better. My rating is 2.5 because I didn't really like the speech bubbles and some of the phrasing. The author's note shared that he wanted to teach kids the lesson to never give up whether they win or lose which is really nice. I could see John's sense of humor in some of the lines which was nice.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2018
Elbow Grease might be a lot smaller than his bigger monster truck brothers, but he has a big heart and a determination to succeed that keeps him from quitting. Youngsters will get a kick out of how the author describes the personalities of the brothers and how they give their younger sidekick a hard time. Still, their gentle teasing only serves to inspire him to work harder and find a way to finish that race. There is a great message in this book as readers are reminded that we grow from taking chances and trying things that others think we won't succeed at doing. Perhaps size doesn't matter when you have a heart bigger than those around you and when you believe in yourself. Go, Elbow Grease, go! Young readers will adore this story and hope for more books featuring the little vehicle that is depicted in such an appealing fashion.
December 10, 2023
کوشا چهارچرخ کوچک ترین برادر است و چهار برادر بزرگ او را مسخره میکنند. اما کوشا در مسابقهای شرکت میکند و به آنها ثابت میکند با تلاش و کوشش میتوان به هر هدفی رسید.
نکته اینست که در داستان مدام بر خلاقیت کوشا تاکید می شود اما خلاقیت خاصی از او نمیبینیم بلکه پشتکار و تلاش و کوشش او برجسته است.
به نظرم برای بالای ۴ سال مناسب است.
عنوان فارسی: کوشا چهارچرخ
نکته اینست که در داستان مدام بر خلاقیت کوشا تاکید می شود اما خلاقیت خاصی از او نمیبینیم بلکه پشتکار و تلاش و کوشش او برجسته است.
به نظرم برای بالای ۴ سال مناسب است.
عنوان فارسی: کوشا چهارچرخ
March 25, 2019
Gotta say that I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. I was pleasantly surprised.
November 4, 2021
A cute little kids book that breaks the fourth wall and also pushes for people to stretch outside of their comfort zones and work hard to learn something new, try making themselves a little more well-rounded, and try something hard they care about, even if they don't win.
December 8, 2025
My son absolutely LOVES this book!! He can’t get enough of it!
June 3, 2019
John Cena wrote a picture book, so I put it on hold without knowing anything about it except that. Turns out it is a fun story about grit and gumption and demolition derbies, so my 6-year old was all about that. Fun, bright illustrations.
October 23, 2018
There's WAY too much going on visually with busy illustrations, word bubbles, font changes, font color changes... it's just a LOT. But the message is indeed a good one and something I think John Cena really believes in. It's an easy way to get a picture book into the hands of a wrestling fan.
November 18, 2018
A cute monster truck story about not giving up. When reading in my head I couldn't help but read it in John Cena's voice.
March 9, 2021
5 stars from my 4 year old. He likes the puns and banter.
The story is just fun.
Bonus points for a female mechanic of color!
The story is just fun.
Bonus points for a female mechanic of color!
November 25, 2018
Elbow Grease is a "little" monster truck. His brothers are all bigger than him. But he wants to prove he can do anything they can do. So he enters a demolition derby to prove this!
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My son LOVED this book! It has a great message for kids, is funny and the illustrations are so vibrant and eye catching! A reccomended read for youngsters.
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For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
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My son LOVED this book! It has a great message for kids, is funny and the illustrations are so vibrant and eye catching! A reccomended read for youngsters.
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For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
March 28, 2025
I was not expecting much out of wrestling powerhouse John Cena, but I have been greatly surprised by how much I like this book. And I can see why more are on the way. Elbo Grease is a truck with gumption. Yeah he plugs in, and yeah he is different, but never give up, and never quit.
#BBRC #AtoZofpicturebooks
#BBRC #AtoZofpicturebooks
November 19, 2018
Grabbed an autographed copy of this book
July 6, 2020
Such a cute book for any kid that loves trucks. Little Elbow Grease the truck has gumption and he shows everyone what you can accomplish when you never give up!
November 11, 2018
I wasn’t sure about this book at first, but as I got a feel for the story my face literally began to light up with a smile. As I turned each page my smile grew and I was thankful that children were going to learn how to believe in themselves, no matter what other’s think of them. Its message is loud about not needing to be the best but just being yourself is enough, because being true to yourself means you can achieve many things. We need more books like this for children, the messages can be subtle or bold like this one. Whichever way it is received, installing positive messages into children at a young age will hopefully help them to be confident, brave and see their own abilities
Not only does the book share positive messages but It also teaches children about the Monster truck world. We lean that there are different types of trucks, the abilities of different sized trucks and that they have names.
The illustrations are fun and there is a combination of text and speech bubbles that deliver the story. Each page is full of colour and muddy browns, and true to the monster truck racing world – muddy puddles, dirt tracks, obstacles, bridges and a whole lot of dirty trucks.
Overall this is a fun and positive story for 3-5 year old, but would suit any child that loves cars and trucks. John Cena has brought to life a monster truck – Elbow Grease, who is bound to become a childhood favourite for many, and I am hopeful we will see more adventures from him in the future.
Not only does the book share positive messages but It also teaches children about the Monster truck world. We lean that there are different types of trucks, the abilities of different sized trucks and that they have names.
The illustrations are fun and there is a combination of text and speech bubbles that deliver the story. Each page is full of colour and muddy browns, and true to the monster truck racing world – muddy puddles, dirt tracks, obstacles, bridges and a whole lot of dirty trucks.
Overall this is a fun and positive story for 3-5 year old, but would suit any child that loves cars and trucks. John Cena has brought to life a monster truck – Elbow Grease, who is bound to become a childhood favourite for many, and I am hopeful we will see more adventures from him in the future.
December 16, 2022
Elbow Grease by John Cena
October 9, 2018
<3 Who knew this sexi muscle man wrote and narrated children books? Hey Boo #JohnCena
THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!
Written and narrated by superstar entertainer John Cena, an audiobook all about perseverance and believing in yourself, featuring a little monster truck named Elbow Grease!
Meet Elbow Grease, a little monster truck with a big problem! He's smaller than his four brothers, but wants to prove that he has the guts and the grit to do big things. He decides that entering the Demolition Derby is the perfect way to show everyone that what he lacks in horsepower he makes up for in gumption. From multi-talented mega celebrity John Cena comes this exciting story about the importance of believing in yourself and never giving up. Full of high-octane sound effects and a new character kids will cheer for, this fun and fast-paced audiobook proves that a little Elbow Grease . . . can go a long way!
October 9, 2018
<3 Who knew this sexi muscle man wrote and narrated children books? Hey Boo #JohnCena
THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!
Written and narrated by superstar entertainer John Cena, an audiobook all about perseverance and believing in yourself, featuring a little monster truck named Elbow Grease!
Meet Elbow Grease, a little monster truck with a big problem! He's smaller than his four brothers, but wants to prove that he has the guts and the grit to do big things. He decides that entering the Demolition Derby is the perfect way to show everyone that what he lacks in horsepower he makes up for in gumption. From multi-talented mega celebrity John Cena comes this exciting story about the importance of believing in yourself and never giving up. Full of high-octane sound effects and a new character kids will cheer for, this fun and fast-paced audiobook proves that a little Elbow Grease . . . can go a long way!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews