(3) 4-6 Illustrated by David Shannon. Music legend Robertson, of Mohawk and Cayuga heritage, retells an ancient story of the Great Peacemaker who, with the help of Hiawatha, unites five warring Iroquois nations. The story is quite dark and complex, as the chiefs struggle to overcome their anger at past violence. Shannon's dramatic paintings show the Peacemaker standing stoically, surrounded by chaos. A musical CD is included.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) PS Jon Scieszka's Trucktown series. Illustrated by David Shannon & Loren Long. Also illustrated by David Gordon. In this desultory addition to the series, all the familiar residents of Trucktown--from Jack Truck to Izzy Ice Cream Truck--compete in a race to see who will get from A to Z first. Boisterous and colorful illustrations will grab the attention of any truck fan, but the text's rhymes are uninspired and sometimes read aloud awkwardly.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(4) K-3 Jon Scieszka's Trucktown series. Illustrated by David Shannon & Loren Long. Also illustrated by David Gordon. Truck Jack calls his compadres to order: "Trucks line up!" As blue, pink, and green trucks fall into formation, Pete, who marches to his own drummer, realizes he was skipped ("Hey...What about me?"). Once that's sorted, the vehicles add their own humorous twist to the final "Line...UP!" Per usual, the story's frenzied energy will be a draw for some readers.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Jon Scieszka's Trucktown series. Illustrated by David Shannon & Loren Long. Also illustrated by David Gordon. Truck Kat loves to make maps of everything including her room and town. When Kat gives a surprise map to her friend Jack, he follows it precisely over highways and under Race Bridge to "an art show of all...Kat's maps." Though the text is easy to read, the payoff is lackluster compared to all that buildup.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) K-3 Jon Scieszka's Trucktown series. Illustrated by David Shannon & Loren Long. Also illustrated by David Gordon. In this skewered Thanksgiving tale, the first residents of Trucktown arrive (complete with Pilgrim hats and a Mayflower replica), build "Ye Olde Trucktown" out of logs, and, in looking for a way to celebrate this accomplishment, settle on an annual Trucksgiving road race. The slight story will be appreciated by those who enjoy the series' smart-alecky brand of humor.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(4) PS Jon Scieszka's Trucktown series. Illustrated by David Shannon & Loren Long. Also illustrated by David Gordon. Three previously published easy readers--Uh-Oh, Max, Pete's Party, and Dizzy Izzy--are parked under the hood of this picture book. Trucktown fans can revisit their favorite characters as, among others, Max jumps, Kat digs, Ted tows, and Izzy makes herself dizzy. The frenetically energetic stories with matching illustrations continue to be simultaneously entertaining and exhausting.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) K-3 Jon Scieszka's Trucktown series. Illustrated by David Shannon & Loren Long. Also illustrated by David Gordon. Ice-cream truck Izzy "loves to get dizzy"; despite his best efforts being busy and fizzy and skidding in a tizzy, he can't seem to achieve dizziness. The story's rhymes make for an entertaining read-aloud. Worrywart cement mixer Melvin doesn't know who sent him a valentine; inexplicably he questions everyone but the sender. Both volumes are hit-or-miss in terms of coherent plotting. Review covers these Jon Scieszka's Trucktown titles: Dizzy Izzy and Melvin's Valentine.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(4) K-3 Jon Scieszka's Trucktown series. Illustrated by David Shannon & Loren Long. Also illustrated by David Gordon. Ice-cream truck Izzy "loves to get dizzy"; despite his best efforts being busy and fizzy and skidding in a tizzy, he can't seem to achieve dizziness. The story's rhymes make for an entertaining read-aloud. Worrywart cement mixer Melvin doesn't know who sent him a valentine; inexplicably he questions everyone but the sender. Both volumes are hit-or-miss in terms of coherent plotting. Review covers these Jon Scieszka's Trucktown titles: Dizzy Izzy and Melvin's Valentine.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(4) K-3 Jon Scieszka's Trucktown series. Illustrated by David Shannon & Loren Long. Also illustrated by David Gordon. In Gift, all Kat's truck friends wonder whether her mysterious present is something practical or frivolous. Tire is a classic 'round-the-campfire ghost story (but with a non-scary outcome) about a mysterious voice following Melvin home from the junkyard. The story lines of these two are somewhat easier to follow than past series entries. Zany cartoons animate the Trucktown pals. Review covers these Jon Scieszka'a Trucktown titles: Kat's Mystery Gift and The Spooky Tire.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(4) K-3 Jon Scieszka's Trucktown series. Illustrated by David Shannon & Loren Long. Also illustrated by David Gordon. In Gift, all Kat's truck friends wonder whether her mysterious present is something practical or frivolous. Tire is a classic 'round-the-campfire ghost story (but with a non-scary outcome) about a mysterious voice following Melvin home from the junkyard. The story lines of these two are somewhat easier to follow than past series entries. Zany cartoons animate the Trucktown pals. Review covers these Jon Scieszka'a Trucktown titles: Kat's Mystery Gift and The Spooky Tire.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(2) K-3 Illustrated by David Shannon. Robot Zot faces such fearsome creatures as a blender, coffee maker, and toaster before rescuing his lady (a toy cell phone) from the jaws of "Earth's most fearsome Commander General" (a black Lab puppy). In this humorous mock-epic, the tension between the robot's clueless heroics and the domestic setting is made manifest in appealing acrylic illustrations, all down close at Zot's perspective.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2009

(4) K-3 Jon Scieszka's Trucktown series. Illustrated by David Shannon & Loren Long. Also illustrated by David Gordon. "Swing around with Rosie, / Swing around with Rosie. / Smashes! Bashes! / It all falls down." Twenty-two classic children's rhymes are loudly retold to feature Rosie, Monster Max, Big Rig, and other characters from Scieszka's Trucktown series. While the digital illustrations, created by many cooks, contain lots of visual ingredients, they may only be appetizing to confirmed fans.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Jon Scieszka's Trucktown series. Illustrated by David Shannon & Loren Long. Also illustrated by David Gordon. Overeager monster truck Max, name emblazoned everywhere from chassis to tire treads, gets stuck beneath an overpass. He asks for help from various inhabitants of Trucktown, but no one's properly equipped--until Tow Truck Ted comes along. The book screams frenetic energy, from its rollicking illustrations to its different type sizes and fonts. Lots of fun but hard to follow.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(4) PS Jon Scieszka's Trucktown series. Illustrated by David Shannon & Loren Long. Also illustrated by David Gordon. Cement Mixer Melvin is no risk-taker--until Rescue Rita, an ambulance, is in danger, and it's up to him to save her. The story, with its Little-Engine-That-Could-inspired refrain ("I can try. I can try"), is banal and the digital illustrations are all over the place, but truck lovers will enjoy all the hubbub.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) PS Jon Scieszka's Trucktown series. Illustrated by David Shannon & Loren Long. [Other by=Illustrated by3]Truck buddies Jack and Dan live to wreak havoc. They're not villains, though: their energy is channeled into helping friends build a play pirate fort and demolishing an old building. It can be hard to tell what's going on in the discombobulatingly frantic illustrations, but kids who like this sort of thing will enjoy all the smashing and crashing.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Jon Scieszka's Trucktown series. Illustrated by David Shannon & Loren Long. These two rowdy books feature a cast of busy trucks getting ready for a party for bully Big Rig (Zoom!) and traveling to Pete's party by following confusing, sometimes contradictory road signs (Pete's). The books are lots of fun, but their story lines can be as difficult to follow as the signs to Pete's shindig. Review includes these Jon Scieszka's Trucktown titles: Pete's Party and Zoom! Boom! Bully.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(4) K-3 Jon Scieszka's Trucktown series. Illustrated by David Shannon & Loren Long. These two rowdy books feature a cast of busy trucks getting ready for a party for bully Big Rig (Zoom!) and traveling to Pete's party by following confusing, sometimes contradictory road signs (Pete's). The books are lots of fun, but their story lines can be as difficult to follow as the signs to Pete's shindig. Review includes these Jon Scieszka's Trucktown titles: Pete's Party and Zoom! Boom! Bully.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by David Shannon. Braid Beard and the rest of the How I Became a Pirate crew stage a reappearance--just in time to help Jeremy Jacob mind his baby sister while Mom's out grocery shopping and Dad snoozes. Long's humorous text will tickle readers' funny bones, and Shannon's boisterous acrylic illustrations are packed with silly details (look for the pirate holding a sippy cup).

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) K-3 Illustrated by David Shannon. While building a sandcastle on the beach, Jeremy encounters a band of pirates who recruit him to help bury their treasure. At first, he loves the rowdy pirate lifestyle--the singing, cursing, bad table manners, and pillow fights--until he misses the comforts of home. Shannon's cartoon acrylic illustrations, which are bursting with energy and salty characters, bring Long's spirited narrative to life.

Reviewer: Mark Adam

(2) K-3 Illustrated by David Shannon. On an island ruled by an unfeeling despot, two siblings rescue a rope-entangled shark. When the children violate the king's rules, however, they are condemned to death. In desperation, their parents seek out the fearsome shark god. Shannon's dark palette is well suited to the tone, lightening effectively as the family sails to a new and more inviting land. Based on a Hawaiian legend, this is a real find for story hours and individual readers.

Reviewer: Mary M. Burns | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2001