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The Mixed-Up Truck

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The Mixed-Up Truck 
By Stephen Savage

Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, 2016.

Do you have a kiddo who loves truck books? Do you like it when a truck book has a hint of humor added to it (knowing that you will be reading the book to the little one over and over and over again)? Then this just might be the book for you! A cement truck is ready for his first day of work at a construction site. The other trucks were busy doing their jobs (“crane was lifting”, “dump truck was dumping”, and “digger was digging”). When the cement mixer asks how to help he is told to mix “some powdery white cement.” Only he gets it wrong. He mixes up flour and makes a cake. Then he mixes sugar and makes frosting. Finally he mixes the right thing and is able to help make a building. In this newest Savage book kids who love trucks (and a bit of silliness) will enjoy the story of the cement truck and how he learns what he should do in order to accomplish his job. This book has the type of illustrations you would expect from a Savage “truck” book and yet this one is on a level all its own. I think this just may be my favorite Stephen Savage truck book yet!
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