A Fire Truck for Chuck

There is not much to add after reading the description of this book. It says, "Told not in verse but with plenty of fun rhyme and repetition, this story’s bright, cartoon-like art conveys Chuck’s full range of emotions. With humor and warmth, it’s a lovable read-aloud that captures a child’s joy for their favorite toy."

Lots of words that rhyme with "truck" abound in this story. Chuck could be any little boy who loves to play, whether in the living room or in the muck outside. He reminded me of my son who was always dirty. A fun story that I can see young children enjoying. A great addition to a pre-school or Kindergarten classroom. You could use it with older students to get them to write about the theme of my favorite toy or possession as well.

What a delightful story to share at bedtime. Chuck and his mom are out garage-saling when he spots a huge red fire truck that sets his eyes twinkling. His heart's desire has been answered if only he can get his mom to buy it for him. They soon discover it is a match made in heaven and in minutes the one dollar fire truck has a brand new owner, namely, Chuck. Hugging his precious treasure close he heads for home to play with his new best friend.

Chuck can't get enough playtime with his new toy and includes it in his sandbox play in the backyard. "Wee-ou-wee-ou-wee-ou" says the fire truck, "Wee-ou-wee-ou-wee-ou," says Chuck. He happily runs the hose resulting in a lovely mucky mire that both he and his beloved truck manage to get struck in! Yuck!!! Mom plucks them both from the guck and while she scours down the messy truck Chuck heads for a hearty scrub in the tub.

After Chuck sparkles himself back to normal he goes to find his beloved companion but guess what? It is nowhere to be found. Oh my! How can that be? Poor Chuck searches high and low all over the house and then becomes horrified!! He thinks maybe his fire truck got sucked up inside the vacuum cleaner. OHHH NOOOO!!!! It's nearly his bedtime now and he still has no luck finding his BFF. Will he finally discover the whereabouts of his new favourite toy or will it be gone forever and ever?

This book contains fun playful language with rhyming words and repetition that little ones will surely love. The cartoon-like illustrations are big, vibrantly coloured and very kid-friendly. They enrich the story so much. The tale oozes happiness and warmth and every child who has ever had a favourite toy can totally relate to Chuck's range of emotions. I love the book and highly recommend it.

While this is a picture book, it could really serve as an easy reader. It has less words than green eggs and ham. It is very repetitive (in a good way) and some new rhyming vocabulary like mukluk and dumbstruck.

A little boy named Chuck visits a yard sale with his mom, where he sees it: a fire truck! And it's only a buck! What luck! Mom buys Chuck the truck, who proceeds to play with it everywhere. Including the mud. Yuck! Chuck is afraid his fire truck is lost forever, but joyfully finds out otherwise. Thanks, Mom! This adorable story of a boy and his truck is perfect for kids who love their vehicle stories - and there are many! You don't need to be a car and truck fan to love this story, too - toddlers and preschoolers will all empathize and understand the love between a kid and his or her favorite toy. While not exactly a rhyming story, A Fire Truck for Chuck uses the easily rhyming word to weave humor and fun into the story. Cartoony illustrations are bold and bright and will get kids' attention.

Chuck finds a fire truck at a garage sale for just one buck. They then have a day full of fun adventures together, until the truck is lost. Can Chuck find his new fire truck?

This book manages to spin a mostly believable plotline of a normal day for a boy with a new toy that incorporates just about every word in English you can think of that ends in -uck or -uk. It's actually a bit impressive. Kids should find Chuck's fun with his truck relatable and then the hunt for his "missing" toy funny. And beginning readers will get plenty of practice with the -uck words.

I am a complete fan of rhyming books, and A Fire Truck for Chuck is a great one. As a speech language pathologist working with young children, I am always looking for a way to support goals in communication as well as literacy. This book helps children with rhyming and has illustrations that are simply wonderful! Chuck is a young boy who receives a new fire truck and gets dirty playing. "Fire truck and Chuck plucked from the guck. YUCK!" is an example of the fun vocabulary of the book. Children will enjoy chiming in with their words if you let them. Both teachers and early childhood professionals should consider this book as a wise purchase for their children's education. A total five star review!

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for an advance e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.