Melvin Might? (Jon Scieszka's Trucktown Series) Book

Cement Mixer Melvin worries a lot. He worries he might get dirty. He worries he might get stuck. He even worries he might get worried. But one fateful day Rescue Rita is in need of a little rescuing, and Trucktown's biggest worrywart is the only one who can save the day. There's just one problem: He worries he can't. Jon Scieszka's latest racing and rollicking installment to the Trucktown franchise is a hilarious (and maybe even a little heartwarming) look at all the things a cement mixer can do...no matter how much he worries!

Children's Literature

Scieszka presents another adventure of one of his "Trucktown" characters, told in a few brief, simple sentences per double page. Melvin is an anthropomorphic cement mixer and a chronic worrier. He fears he might get dirty, or stuck, or even worried. As the trucks gather on the road, Jack Truck tells them that although the bridge is not finished, they have a new way across an excavation. Payloader Pete, scooper in front, explains, "First you ROAR!" And down the hill he goes, followed by Rescue Rita. Then he soars and splashes into the water. Rita soars too but has a problem with the splash. At each step fearful Melvin says, "Oh no, I can't try that." As Jack is encouraging Melvin, Rita falls and cries for help. Melvin finds that he can try that to help a friend. And he succeeds. The jaunty Trucktown cast is introduced on the front endpapers with their names. On the rear pages their pictures are repeated with their individual comments. Using digital manipulation, the artists give each character personality, while including just the necessary landscape. They have created melodrama by exaggerating the excavation and the heroic efforts to cross it. The climax is on a double foldout page depicting Melvin's actions along with, in extra large letters, his repeated "I can try." The final drive into the sunset makes a pseudo romantic ending to this book from the series created particularly to "inspire kids to read." Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz