Farmer Dale's Red Pickup Truck

Farmer Dale is a friendly dog on his way to town with a load of hay. The trip is not uneventful--he encounters a skating pig, an accordion-playing goat and other farm animals in need of a ride. They soon learn a pickup will only carry so much weight and that one farmer can only do so much--working alone. This is a fun story of working together and getting the job done to everyone's benefit. Told in simple rhyme with pictures to bring it all to life, it is aimed at 3 to 7-year olds, but the boys in my house enjoyed it even though they are a couple years older. Armchair Interviews says: Add it to your gift list. Great fun.

I had a feeling I might like this book even before the story began. The title page shows a big dog asleep in a fireplace-heated easy chair, books spread about the room, and his spectacles (it's old-fashioned that way) perched on his nose. It turns out that the dog is the titular "Farmer Dale," and he deserves the rest after the day he had! Driving his shiny truck, he picks up one idiosyncratic animal after another, from the bossy cow (who repeatedly says "Mooove over!") to the accordian-playing (!) goat, to the rooster who annoyingly tells him the obvious after his rolling barnyard steams and shakes to a stop: "It seems you have a problem," a cocky rooster crowed. "We do," admitted Farmer Date, "The problem is we're stuck. The weight of all these animals is too much for my truck." Rooster eyed the animals. "You're such a cozy group. I hate to cluck like Mother Hen, but who will fly the coop?" WIth all apologies to non-clucking hens, Rooster has pretty much properly assessed the problem--except it gets worse. The crowded animals (in a delightful close-up) are, quite frankly, a bunch of cranky, whiny animals, and good-natured Farmer Dale tries to get them to "settle down." In a fairly wacky and pun-filled cow-llaboration (sorry), the animals get them wheels a-rolling again, and the surprise conclusion explains why a goat was holding an accordian! The illustrations have the same kind of abandon as the story, and yet the wild animation-like scenes share the spotlight with startlingly beautiful depictions of the rural countryside. Ivan Bates' watercolor and pencil crayon pictures have an old-fashioned classic look, with hints of Beatrix Potter, sketchy movie storyboards, and a little N.C.Wyeth and Norman Rockwell. It's an uncommonly imaginative mix of pictorial styles, and it compliments the menagerie that Farmer Dale collects in his truck. The rhymes are funny and unforced, and the story moves both logically and wildly along. Filled with action, emotion, barnyard humor, expressive pictues, and a clever surprise, this winning book is a little slice of Americana. Highly recommended!

This fun to read book chronicles a day in the life of Farmer Dale, and several other animals in the town. When Farmer Dale begins his journey to the county fair, he stops first to pick up Bossy Cow, who is in need of a ride. As the book continues, more and more characters with their own savvy traits are introduced. They all need rides to the fair and Farmer Dale is willing to help. There are just two problems: Will all of these animals fit into Farmer Dale's red pickup truck? Will the truck be able to last the whole ride to the county fair? Read this exciting book to find out! Filled with rhymes, repetition, and a moral at the end, it is a great read for Pre-K through 2nd graders.

Farmer Dale is heading for town in his red pickup truck full of hay. Along the way he meets various animals that need a ride and he is more than happy to help. But what happens when the truck is full and more animals need a ride? And what happens when the old truck is not able to carry any more animals without breaking down? A fun read with each animal having their own unique personality, Farmer Dale's Red Pickup Truck is recommended for children ages three through seven.