8 Children’s Books About Trucks for Vehicle-Loving Kids
Hot trends in children’s literature are often up for discussion — are vampires dead? What mythical creature is the Next Big Thing? — but when it comes to stories for very young children, there are some perennial favourites. Animals are one, families are another, and, of course, vehicles are ever-popular. Little children love big machines of all kinds, and have for generations. Trucks are often a popular choice, which isn’t surprising: toy trucks have been beloved by countless children, and it makes sense that they’d also love reading stories about them. Along with other vehicles, trucks have been at the centre of some cute, funny, or thought-provoking board and picture books about trucks for very new readers.
As well as being entertaining for little truck fans, books about trucks can be a vehicle (pun fully intended) for other themes. Children reading about trucks can also learn about the excitement of exploring, and how not to be intimidated by the wider world. Anthropomorphic vehicles can be fun characters that entertain readers, and maybe be used to represent for pets or family members. Vehicle stories can teach children about how to work together, or the importance of persisting at tasks — or to explore the themes of environmentalism or community. Here are some of the best children’s books about trucks and other vehicles currently out there.
Little Truck by Taro Gomi
Part of the Transportation Books for Toddlers series, this cute board book is perfect for little ones who love vehicles. Little Truck loves to explore, travelling across the land and finding fun places to play, followed by his big truck parent. The illustrations are adorable and will appeal to adults and children alike.
I Am a Garbage Truck by Ace Landers
Garbage trucks are some of the most fun trucks, adored by many children, and it’s easy to see why — as well as driving around, they have cool mechanisms that pick up our rubbish. I Am a Garbage Truck is a truck-shaped board book that follows the journey of a garbage truck as it does its rounds and takes trash to the dump.
Five Trucks by Brian Floca
Little children who are starting to learn about different kinds of vehicles will have great fun reading this book, which follows five trucks based around an airport. Each of the trucks has a different job, but together, all of them do the work that is needed to help an aeroplane get ready for its flight.
Puppy Truck by Brian Pinkney
If the little reader in your life loves trucks and pets, they’ll have a great time reading Puppy Truck. In this sweet story, a little boy wants a pet dog, but when he gets a pet truck instead, he realises it’s just as much fun. Carter takes his puppy truck on walks, and realises that even this unusual pet is a lot of responsibility!
The Old Truck by Jerome Pumphrey and Jarrett Pumphrey
Beloved vehicles can feel like part of the family, as we see in The Old Truck by the Pumphrey brothers. The beautifully-illustrated story follows a young girl who grows up on her family farm, with an old truck that eventually stops working. When the girl grows up and starts running her own farm, she decides to restore her faithful childhood companion.
The Digger and the Flower by Joseph Kuefler
Featuring a lot of construction trucks, as well as the titular digger, The Digger and the Flower tells the story of a machine that goes to work as usual on a building site; however, today, he finds a flower amongst the dirt and rocks. In addition to appealing to children who love trucks and vehicles, The Digger and the Flower is a great way to introduce caring for the environment to young readers.
The Struggle Bus by Julie Koon
More of a metaphorical vehicle than a real one, The Struggle Bus is a good read for truck-loving kids who are also learning how to deal with big feelings. Told in rhyme, it follows a child’s journey on the struggle bus as it crosses a difficult landscape, coming out of the other side of hard times after working to feel better.
The Wheels on the Tuk Tuk by Kabir Seghal and Surishtha Seghal
In The Wheels on the Tuk Tuk, mother and son team Kabir and Surishtha Seghal give us a fun take on the old song “The Wheels on the Bus,” creating an action-packed story that follows a tuk tuk as it travels around town, encountering many different people — plus an elephant — along the way. With beautiful illustrations and a fun rhyme, The Wheels on the Tuk Tuk is great for parents and toddlers to read and sing along to together.
Does the little reader in your life love all kinds of vehicles and machines? Then find some recommendations on our list of 6 Fantastic Picture Books About Vehicles. You might also be interested in 8 of the Best Children’s Books About Airplanes.
