Little Blue Truck Leads the Way
Written by Alice Schertle
Illustrated by Jill McElmurry
Alice Schertle and Jill McElmurry deliver another charming tale about a little blue truck that has a way of bringing perspective to the busy vehicles around him. This book is an obvious pick for reading aloud (especially the Big Book edition). The illustrations are captivating and colorful, and the text gives just the right amount of rhyme and rhythm to relay a timeless tale.
Second grade or third grade students may try their hand at narration with the big book edition of Little Blue Truck Leads the Way, as they entertain a group of younger students. Reading aloud to a younger audience can build confidence in literacy skills and promote fluency. As a comprehension check, students should describe the conflict and resolution within this book and how the Little Blue Truck played a role in the resolution. Students may also read the original Little Blue Truck, and discuss or write about how the Little Blue Truck is the same or different in Little Blue Truck Leads the Way. As an art project, students could create their own pictures of the Little Blue Truck with various media, such as torn tissue paper, chalk, found objects, and/or colors pencils. It is always interesting to see students’ different takes on a singular object. Students may journal about a time that they felt overwhelmed by their circumstances and how they overcame those feelings of anxiety, or they may describe how they can relate to the Little Blue Truck. Little Blue Truck Leads the Way would be a sweet addition to any unit about transportation, feelings, or travel.
Title: Little Blue Truck Leads the Way- Author: Alice Schertle
- Illustrator: Jill McElmurry
- Publisher: Sandpiper/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
- Reviewer: Sharon Schulte
- Big Book (oversized paperback), 38 pages
- Big Book ISBN: 978-0-547-85060-3
- Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-15-206389-4
- Board Book ISBN: 978-0-547-57574-2
- Genre: fiction/transportation