Little Taco Truck by Tanya Valentine, illustrated by Jorge Martin.
PICTURE BOOK. Schwartz & Wade Books (Random House), 2019. $18.
9781524765859
BUYING ADVISORY: PRE-K, EL (K-3) – OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Little
Taco Truck, portrayed with a bright-eyed face on the windshield, contentedly
serves lunch to hungry workers on a busy city street until the day Miss Falafel
arrives and takes his spot. His worry about this new competition is compounded
as new food trucks arrive each day. One day, after squeezing into a little spot
and bumping into yet another newly arrived truck, Little Taco Truck cries as he
drives away, but comes up with a plan. The next day, he arrives at the street before
dawn, and then finds the courage to defend his spot when the others start
showing up. The other food trucks apologize and happily figure out how to make room for
everyone. A short glossary defines the different food choices served by the
trucks.
The
bright colors of the trucks, and their simple facial expressions, are inviting
to young kids, and learning about some ethnic lunch options is broadening. However, the glossary defines tacos as “crispy” which is clearly too narrow a definition in today's world. Also, I
found the message of competition and cooperation, as told through a food truck
worrying about keeping his spot on the street to sell his wares, too abstract
to be meaningful for this young of an audience. Would a 5-year-old understand
the taco truck’s problem, or be able to relate this worry to something with which they are more familiar? Furthermore, small businesses being displaced by newer and bigger
entities is a serious, real-world conflict that feels as if it is being treated flippantly by this
title.
P.K.Foster, MLS, school librarian
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