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With Any Luck I'll Drive a Truck

Illustrated by Michael Rex
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Paperback
$8.99 US
8.31"W x 10.5"H x 0.13"D   | 6 oz | 96 per carton
On sale May 21, 2019 | 32 Pages | 978-1-9848-1388-6
Age 3-5 years | Up to Kindergarten
Reading Level: Lexile AD480L | Fountas & Pinnell J
New York Times bestselling illustrator Mike Rex’s vivid, vehicle-filled scenes are the perfect match for this enthusiastic celebration of big rigs and big imaginations.
 
Bulldozers and back-hoes, pavers and plows, trailers and tractors--the world is filled with so many types of trucks! Imagine the fun you could have if you could drive them all! And what if you could bring your best friends along with you? Hop along for a thrilling ride! This playful romp is sure to delight truck lovers everywhere!
"Targets the mad-about-the-backhoe-and-big-rig set . . . a wrecking ball to delight kids and destroy boredom. Dream big, kids."Vanity Fair

“Sometimes it seems there are as many truck books published as there are actual trucks on the Interstate, with most about as subtle as an 18-wheeler’s horn blast. But this smoothly rhyming ode to heavy equipment . . . is a refreshing treat. . . . Rex’s brightly colored, slightly rounded vehicles strike a kid-friendly balance between realistic and toy-like.”The New York Times

* “A delightful ode to trucks goes above and beyond the usual churning, wrecking, and pounding. Cheery rhyming text. . . . All the favorites are here, with some mechanical monsters lauded less often in books of this sort. . . . Friend’s rhymes produce a one-of-a-kind mighty litany of machines. These words pair neatly with Rex’s art; his cartoonish style renders each vehicle with a meticulousness that will meet the approval of even the strictest vehicle enthusiast. Lucky indeed are the kids who get to indulge in this splendid little wish-fulfillment daydream.”Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“A cheeky poem of a picture book, in which a boy proudly describes his prowess as he helms several trucks, trailers, and construction vehicles. Humorously colloquial rhymes are well-matched to the mischief on display as the boy—accompanied by a turtle, penguin, and pig—engages in construction and demolition, occasionally saving the day. . . . Rex’s (Goodnight Goon) digitally colored ink cartoons are full of vehicular action and mechanical details, from the dirt-caked treads of a wrecking ball to the gleam of an 18-wheeler’s mesh grille, cast by the truck’s headlights.”Publishers Weekly

“The rhythmic, rhyming text has just enough detail to keep kids engaged without slowing down the pace. . . . This colorful picture book is prime material for kids yearning to tackle tough jobs with a little help from big machines.”Booklist
© Harriet Seitler
David Friend is editor of creative development at Vanity Fair. Together they edited Vanity Fair’s Hollywood and were executive producers of the documentary 9/11, which won both Emmy and Peabody Awards. View titles by David Friend
MICHAEL REX is the creator of over thirty books for children, including the number one bestseller Goodnight Goon and the Fangbone! series. He also illustrated With Any Luck, I'll Drive a Truck (by David Friend). He was inspired to create Icky Ricky by his two boys, Declan and Gavin, who are fine young citizens, but very disgusting. Gavin eats ketchup on cake, and Declan uses a marker to color his belly button. Along with the boys, Mr. Rex lives with his wife and their dog, Roxy, in Leonia, New Jersey. Both his wife and the dog are not disgusting at all. Visit him at www.michaelrex.blogspot.com. You won’t get dirty. View titles by Michael Rex

With Any Luck, I'll Drive a Truck - Read Aloud Picture Book | Brightly Storytime

About

New York Times bestselling illustrator Mike Rex’s vivid, vehicle-filled scenes are the perfect match for this enthusiastic celebration of big rigs and big imaginations.
 
Bulldozers and back-hoes, pavers and plows, trailers and tractors--the world is filled with so many types of trucks! Imagine the fun you could have if you could drive them all! And what if you could bring your best friends along with you? Hop along for a thrilling ride! This playful romp is sure to delight truck lovers everywhere!

Praise

"Targets the mad-about-the-backhoe-and-big-rig set . . . a wrecking ball to delight kids and destroy boredom. Dream big, kids."Vanity Fair

“Sometimes it seems there are as many truck books published as there are actual trucks on the Interstate, with most about as subtle as an 18-wheeler’s horn blast. But this smoothly rhyming ode to heavy equipment . . . is a refreshing treat. . . . Rex’s brightly colored, slightly rounded vehicles strike a kid-friendly balance between realistic and toy-like.”The New York Times

* “A delightful ode to trucks goes above and beyond the usual churning, wrecking, and pounding. Cheery rhyming text. . . . All the favorites are here, with some mechanical monsters lauded less often in books of this sort. . . . Friend’s rhymes produce a one-of-a-kind mighty litany of machines. These words pair neatly with Rex’s art; his cartoonish style renders each vehicle with a meticulousness that will meet the approval of even the strictest vehicle enthusiast. Lucky indeed are the kids who get to indulge in this splendid little wish-fulfillment daydream.”Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“A cheeky poem of a picture book, in which a boy proudly describes his prowess as he helms several trucks, trailers, and construction vehicles. Humorously colloquial rhymes are well-matched to the mischief on display as the boy—accompanied by a turtle, penguin, and pig—engages in construction and demolition, occasionally saving the day. . . . Rex’s (Goodnight Goon) digitally colored ink cartoons are full of vehicular action and mechanical details, from the dirt-caked treads of a wrecking ball to the gleam of an 18-wheeler’s mesh grille, cast by the truck’s headlights.”Publishers Weekly

“The rhythmic, rhyming text has just enough detail to keep kids engaged without slowing down the pace. . . . This colorful picture book is prime material for kids yearning to tackle tough jobs with a little help from big machines.”Booklist

Author

© Harriet Seitler
David Friend is editor of creative development at Vanity Fair. Together they edited Vanity Fair’s Hollywood and were executive producers of the documentary 9/11, which won both Emmy and Peabody Awards. View titles by David Friend
MICHAEL REX is the creator of over thirty books for children, including the number one bestseller Goodnight Goon and the Fangbone! series. He also illustrated With Any Luck, I'll Drive a Truck (by David Friend). He was inspired to create Icky Ricky by his two boys, Declan and Gavin, who are fine young citizens, but very disgusting. Gavin eats ketchup on cake, and Declan uses a marker to color his belly button. Along with the boys, Mr. Rex lives with his wife and their dog, Roxy, in Leonia, New Jersey. Both his wife and the dog are not disgusting at all. Visit him at www.michaelrex.blogspot.com. You won’t get dirty. View titles by Michael Rex

Media

With Any Luck, I'll Drive a Truck - Read Aloud Picture Book | Brightly Storytime