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Truck Duck [Modern Gem]
A variety of animals drive vehicles whose names rhyme with their own.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
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February 6, 2018An extremely simple book (each page spread has an illustrated rhyming animal/vehicle pair, and that's it), that both my sons enjoyed when they were very young. At some point I decided that even the one who still gets picture books read aloud to him was too old for it, and got rid of our copy. Before doing so though, I took a picture of the "Cab Crab" because it always used to amuse me, seeing that crab giving the claw. I just now came across it, and thought I might as well post it in a review, which I think was my intention.
May 14, 2012
This might be the greatest book I've ever read.
October 4, 2008
Synopsis
Each brightly colored two page spread in this board book shows animals driving various vehicles with rhyming text.
Review
The bright primary colors and large pictures in this book are excellent for toddlers and babies who's vision hasn't completely developed. The combination of animals and large vehicles are of interest to toddlers. The silliness of a ladybug driving a tug boat could also appeal to older toddlers. The simple rhyming text helps to develop phonolgical awareness as well as assisting a young child connect words to items. A picture of a goat steering a sail boat is accompanied by the phrase "Boat Goat" and a sheep driving a jeep is accompanied by "Jeep Sheep." However, some of the names of vehicles used to make the rhymes are a bit of a stretch for a young child. For example, "Rod Cod" might confuse a child who would think in the broader categories "fish, car." Additionally, the straightforward pictures and text don't allow a lot of room for the parent to go beyond the text. While this book has enough going for it in reading readyness and vivid and fun illustrations, I don't think it will become a bedtime staple.
Critical Reveiws
School Library Journal
This glowing review focuses on the pictures and rhyming of this book. In fact, the bright clean lines of the illustrations get an entire sentence and a half in the six sentence review. I agree with everything stated in the review. I just don't feel that the review considered everything the book had to offer.
Booklist
This review states that the "wry" rhymes are for the entertainment of adults. It also overstates the fun of the illustrations "vrooming action." However, it rightly states that toddlers will appreciate the large machines and animals. The vivid wording of this review would certainly intice a potential customer to look farther.
Additional Bibliographic Information
Published by Penguin Young Reader's Group in 2004
26 pages
Intended for baby to preschool
Each brightly colored two page spread in this board book shows animals driving various vehicles with rhyming text.
Review
The bright primary colors and large pictures in this book are excellent for toddlers and babies who's vision hasn't completely developed. The combination of animals and large vehicles are of interest to toddlers. The silliness of a ladybug driving a tug boat could also appeal to older toddlers. The simple rhyming text helps to develop phonolgical awareness as well as assisting a young child connect words to items. A picture of a goat steering a sail boat is accompanied by the phrase "Boat Goat" and a sheep driving a jeep is accompanied by "Jeep Sheep." However, some of the names of vehicles used to make the rhymes are a bit of a stretch for a young child. For example, "Rod Cod" might confuse a child who would think in the broader categories "fish, car." Additionally, the straightforward pictures and text don't allow a lot of room for the parent to go beyond the text. While this book has enough going for it in reading readyness and vivid and fun illustrations, I don't think it will become a bedtime staple.
Critical Reveiws
School Library Journal
This glowing review focuses on the pictures and rhyming of this book. In fact, the bright clean lines of the illustrations get an entire sentence and a half in the six sentence review. I agree with everything stated in the review. I just don't feel that the review considered everything the book had to offer.
Booklist
This review states that the "wry" rhymes are for the entertainment of adults. It also overstates the fun of the illustrations "vrooming action." However, it rightly states that toddlers will appreciate the large machines and animals. The vivid wording of this review would certainly intice a potential customer to look farther.
Additional Bibliographic Information
Published by Penguin Young Reader's Group in 2004
26 pages
Intended for baby to preschool
May 30, 2018
My preschooler loved reading this aloud at the library. The rhymed pairings of animals with vehicles is pretty funny, but some of them reach for obscure words (e.g., "rod cod" with a fish driving a hot rod). One fun way to use the book for a kid who already understands rhyming is to read one word and ask them to complete the rhyme based on the picture.
March 28, 2022
Bright primary colors, things that go, and rhyming animals. This is a wonderful book to reinforce rhyming and for increasing background vocabulary. After reading one of the above reviews though, I can't look at the Crab driving the cab the same way - is he giving me the claw or waving me down?
August 22, 2018
Simple but colorful and engaging pictures. Large bold font. Good length. Great for babies - funny, can also do animal sounds if wanting to make interactive. Worked well in baby storytime.
April 15, 2019
99/365
Simple but so great!
Simple but so great!
June 19, 2019
It's a board book with bright colors, rhyming, animals, and automobiles. Add the element of making the sounds of the animals and you've got a nice little book for babies and toddlers.
December 11, 2019
A brightly illustrated board book of rhyming animals travelling in vehicles. Examples: Caboose Moose and Plow Cow. Funny illustrations. Great fun for the earliest readers and pre-readers.
June 3, 2020
Idk why I found this quite so charming, but I was cracking up while reading this to Oliver! So silly!
July 20, 2022
A cute rhyming book with fun vehicles and animals my toddlers already love (nearly anything with trains, boats, and dump trucks is a big hit).
June 14, 2023
Simple and fun rhyme book
March 17, 2025
So fun
February 8, 2012
Truck Duck by Michael Rex is a transportation book using animals and simple rhymes.
Animals featured include Duck, Crab, Cow, Bug, Chimp, Crow, Cod, Goat, Pig, Sheep, Cub, Frog and Moose.
Using just 26 words in rhyming pairs, Michael Rex creates a very fun look at the secret love of animals for driving or piloting vehicles.
Rex's illustrations feature bright colors and double page spreads. The images were drawn in pencil and colored in Adobe Photoshop. The endpapers feature maps, car keys and the driver's licenses for Duck and Crab. The title page features signs. My favorite images include the endpapers, title page, Cab, plow, Tow truck, Rig, Jeep, Sub, Hog (motorcycle) and Caboose.
The more I look at this, the more details and potential I see. You could talk about colors, details of the vehicles: for tractor (pulling plow) the gear shift, wheels, seat, lights, etc., and details on the endpapers. I laugh looking at the title page with QUACK written on the stop sign shape. Having grown up on a farm I appreciate the tractor drawn plow greatly, yet all the vehicles have cool details. Cod Rod and Frog Hog may need the most explanation to young ones, but I appreciate the whimsy and interesting rhymes. The large pictures make this useful for sharing with small groups or one-on-one. With just two words per page, very beginning readers can succeed with this selection. In two words: Very fun!
For ages 2 to 5, transportation, vehicles, animals, phonological awareness, print awareness, rhyming, humor, and fans of Michael Rex.
Animals featured include Duck, Crab, Cow, Bug, Chimp, Crow, Cod, Goat, Pig, Sheep, Cub, Frog and Moose.
Using just 26 words in rhyming pairs, Michael Rex creates a very fun look at the secret love of animals for driving or piloting vehicles.
Rex's illustrations feature bright colors and double page spreads. The images were drawn in pencil and colored in Adobe Photoshop. The endpapers feature maps, car keys and the driver's licenses for Duck and Crab. The title page features signs. My favorite images include the endpapers, title page, Cab, plow, Tow truck, Rig, Jeep, Sub, Hog (motorcycle) and Caboose.
The more I look at this, the more details and potential I see. You could talk about colors, details of the vehicles: for tractor (pulling plow) the gear shift, wheels, seat, lights, etc., and details on the endpapers. I laugh looking at the title page with QUACK written on the stop sign shape. Having grown up on a farm I appreciate the tractor drawn plow greatly, yet all the vehicles have cool details. Cod Rod and Frog Hog may need the most explanation to young ones, but I appreciate the whimsy and interesting rhymes. The large pictures make this useful for sharing with small groups or one-on-one. With just two words per page, very beginning readers can succeed with this selection. In two words: Very fun!
For ages 2 to 5, transportation, vehicles, animals, phonological awareness, print awareness, rhyming, humor, and fans of Michael Rex.
February 9, 2017
If you need a great rhyming book for young listeners, this is it! I used this at story time at our public library and had the attendees repeat after me-it worked well.
Maybe one thing is I wish the animals were a bit bigger in the illustrations.
Maybe one thing is I wish the animals were a bit bigger in the illustrations.
March 16, 2009
Such a cute, simple book with rhyming animals and the what they drive. We loved the colorful pages and the cute rhyming. Bryan, a two year old, was crazy about it And Kendall, a four year old, didn't complain about us reading it about six times in a row. I'll have to try and find it somewhere because it was a big hit. Plus it is great to have a nice short book around when you don't want to read for half an hour before bed.
September 30, 2010
This book is probably geared toward kids younger than my preschooler, but she surprised me by loving it and wanting to read it every night--I think the allure is the fact there are only two words per page, and they always rhyme. Throw in animals driving silly vehicles, and presto, library-book-love.
May 4, 2012
Great rhyming text and simple pictures with animals and vehicles. My 2 year old loves hearing the rhymes and he's just now understanding the different vehicles and their sounds so this is a good and easy to read bedtime book.
May 11, 2008
We have checked this book out at the local library so many times. My son loves it and now knows the book by heart. Check it out! It is pretty cute.
August 25, 2008
A super-simple rhyming book that is super-appealing. Big vehicles combined with rhyming animals.
March 12, 2009
Animals whose name and mode of transportation rhyme. Not a bad book, just didn't excite us.
April 6, 2009
Easy rhyming for early readers - ages 2-4.
May 5, 2009
cute!
June 3, 2009
This for young kids, but it's a great way to introduce them to animals and vehicles in a fun ryhming way!
April 22, 2010
It bothers me that this book lacks prepositions...
August 18, 2010
Though this is a very simple word book, I loved the creativity and rhyme of the animals and things they drove.
October 15, 2010
One of his favorite "vehicle" books
March 10, 2011
Toddlers, Pre-K, phonological awareness, print awareness, rhyming.
April 23, 2011
Good for storytime with small group.
March 28, 2012
simple. vibrant. funny. adorable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews