Twenty Big Trucks in the Middle of the Street

Count the trucks getting stuck in a traffic jam in this rhythmic read-aloud sure to draw in kids who love everything on wheels.

One ice-cream truck selling everything sweet breaks down and blocks the middle of our street.

If you’re a little boy on a bike, an ice-cream truck on your street is always a welcome sight. But what if the truck breaks down and blocks the mail truck behind it (now there are two), not to mention a third truck carrying hay? One by one, trucks of all types and sizes and functions are sure to pile up behind, offering ample opportunity for ogling — and counting. And maybe the boy’s idea for putting one of the trucks to good use might even save the day!

Commended for Texas 2x2 Reading List 2014

“The large format, bouncy rhyme and increasing mayhem all answer the energetic child's desire for things to be big and loud. However, the book subtly focuses the attention, too, as its captivating illustrations invite careful "reading." -Newsday”

[A] lively picture book multitasking as a counting book, a truck book, and an ice-cream wish-fulfillment story...
—The Horn Book

It’s [Cyrus's] portrayal of the trucks as solid machines momentarily sidelined from their essential duties, along with the evocation of a neighborhood brought together by a benign “Didja ever...” moment, that makes the book feel inspired.
—Publishers Weekly

Counting books in verse are plentiful, but this one stands out. The words roll off the tongue, a good thing, as children will demand to hear it again and again.
—School Library Journal

Not just a counting book, the rhyming text artfully tells a story, which climaxes when the clever young observer suggests a nifty way to get the trucks rolling again. ... Good for storytimes and one-on-one sharing, this should delight even the most jaded of truck-book aficionados.
—Booklist Online

[H]andsome entertainment. This softly rhyming picture book presents children with a small but exciting dilemma that quickly involves—hurrah!—all sorts of trucks.
—The Wall Street Journal

The large format, bouncy rhyme and increasing mayhem all answer the energetic child's desire for things to be big and loud. However, the book subtly focuses the attention, too, as its captivating illustrations invite careful "reading."
—Newsday

Mark Lee is a highly regarded poet, playwright, journalist, and author of novels for adults, including The Lost Tribe and The Canal House. This is his first book for children. He lives in New York City.

Kurt Cyrus is the author-illustrator of numerous picture books and has illustrated titles for such authors as Eve Bunting, Lisa Wheeler, and M. T. Anderson. He lives in Cottage Grove, Oregon.

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