Smash! Crash! (Jon Scieszka's Trucktown)

Smash! Crash! (Jon Scieszka's Trucktown)
by Jon Scieszka

Smash! Crash! (Jon Scieszka's Trucktown)
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Book Summary Information

Author: Jon Scieszka
Illustrator: David Shannon
Illustrator: Loren Long
Illustrator: David Gordon
Edition: Hardcover
Published: 2008-01-08
ISBN: 1416941339
Number of pages: 42
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Book Reviews of Smash! Crash! (Jon Scieszka's Trucktown)

Book Review: A truly terrible book
Summary: 1 Stars

I'm not sure what the author was going for here, but aside from some great art and obvious merchandising opportunities, this is a truly awful book. The language ranges from contrived ("Jack and Dan charge [as in, approach] Cement Mixer Melvin") to confounding ("Hey, Max, help us smashing!" "Yeah, Max, help us crashing.").

The text occasionally suggests the intent to rhyme without paying off with an actual rhyme, and the author appears to have been unsure whether his two smash-crashing heroes are destructive or helpful. If anything, it appears to be a training manual for bullies.

Parents of daughters may find the representation of the sole female characters demeaning at best. And, as other reviewers have likely mentioned, the "story" is oddly disjointed and episodic.

A truly shallow and seemingly ad hoc effort, paid off only by our son's affection for trucks and cars in general. Avoid.

Summary of Smash! Crash! (Jon Scieszka's Trucktown)

Welcome to Jon Scieszka's Trucktown, a brand-new preschool/kindergarten series that will come in more shapes, sizes, and formats than you can shake a bumper at. It's a world where all the characters are trucks, all the stories are action driven, and boys and girls can imagine themselves in all their crazy, loud, funny, creative, excited, full-throttle glory! It's a world where we work at play, and we play at work... and no one's afraid to get dirty or be LOUD! And it all kicks off with Smash! Crash! best friends Jack and Dan are spending their day doing what they do best--smashing and crashing! All the while a strange shadow is following them around every corner... Who is this new addition to Trucktown? What does she want? Rhythmic, rollicking text will get kids' motors running and horns honking with each refrain! This is a book that begs to be read again and again!


Meet the Trucktown Gang


Jack Truck
Jack is a prankster action hero! He is active, rowdy, messy, loud and goofy. He is the fastest truck and the best-at-truck-sports truck. Jack's work is to play. And he plays, and plays, and plays, and plays.

Dump Truck Dan
Dan is Jack Truck's best friend. He is one strong truck and loves to show off that strength, whether its pushing rocks, loading up dirt, or getting into trouble with Jack.

Payloader Pete
Pete is Dan's brother, and he is loud, rough, tough and competitive! But he's also the most loyal friend a truck could have. As he puts it "I would take a punch in the grill for those guys."


Cement Mixer Melvin
"I'm worried!" and "I don't want to" are two of Melvin's favorite phrases. He is a loveable worrier, which is good because he LOVES to worry.

Gabriella Garbage Truck
Gabriella knows everyone and everything. She's a social butterfly and maybe bit of a know-it-all, but still a blast to have around. She can always talk about what's going on! And talk... and talk... and...

Monster Truck Max
Max is everything you would expect a monster truck to be. Especially ACTIVE! He is oversized, jacked up, and nitro-boosted to the MAX! He's always getting his wild self into trouble and it's a good thing he's got good friends like Jack and Dan to help him along the way.


Grader Kat
Sensitive, creative, and mature, Grader Kat is the most artistic truck around. Don't believe it? Check out her tire treads! Her creative ideas and experimental nature make her a great addition to any adventure.

Wrecker Rosie
Rosie is big. Rosie is a wrecker. Rosie is a great big wrecker sweet and clumsy and who lives to bounce about wrecking things. But beneath all that noise and wreckage there is also a very big heart.

Tow Truck Ted
Tow Truck Ted is smart--really smart. He knows more about truck mechanics, repair, history, and even truck mythology than anybody else. But watch out, he's also got a sly side and he's always got a plan.


Izzy Ice Cream Truck
Izzy is an ice cream truck. He sells ice cream and only ice cream. And he says only one thing--"Do you want ice cream? Do you want ice cream? Do you want ice cream?"

Hook and Ladder Lucy and Pumper Pat
These fire truck twins are responsible, do-gooder citizens. Practically always together, they love doing things the right way. Lucy thinks they are being responsible. Jack and Dan think they're a little bossy.

Big Rig
Big Rig is a bully. He's a tailgating, horn blasting, black exhaust spewing, license expired, outlaw. And those might be the nicest things you could say about him. The best thing to do with this guy is steer clear.

Rescue Rita
Rita is Lucy and Pat's little sister. And the biggest tag-a-long... She just wants to join in on all.


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