Little Blue Truck

Title: Little Blue Truck     
Author: Alice Schertle
Illustrator: Jill McElmurry 
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc.
Publication Date: 2008   
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book   
Summary: A what-goes-around-comes-around book about a little blue truck, his animal friends, and a not-so-friendly dump truck.   
What I Think: I love this book for onomatopoeia!  It's a very simple story, but the onomatopoeia makes it really fun...and I love the big green toad, he's my favorite.  I think it's important for kids to understand how important it is to treat others with respect.  This book teaches them this lesson in such a clear but simple way.
Read Together: Pre-K - 12   
Read Alone: 3 - 12   
Read With: Fables - like The Lion & the Mouse or The Little Red Hen By Jerry Pinkney  

Snatch of Text: 

"Sheep said, 'Baaa!'

Cow said, 'Moo!'

'Oink!' said a piggy.

'Beep!' said Blue!" 

Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections, Predicting, Identifying Story Elements (folk literature)
Writing Strategies to Practice: Personal Narrative, Onomatopoeia
Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when you needed someone's help.  After looking at the onomatopoeia in the story, try to add onomatopoeia to your writing.     
Topics Covered: Friendship, Respect, Helping Others, Morals  
Translated to Spanish: No