  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 06/01/2016 PreS-Gr 1—First days can be challenging. Playing on words, this picture book shows that this is true even for cement mixers—sometimes they mix things up while mixing things up. When this cement mixer starts at the construction site, all the other smiling trucks are busy: lifting, dumping, digging. "How can I help?" asks the cement mixer. "Mix up some powdery white cement," the trucks tell him. The page turn finds the cement mixer beaming proudly outside a giant flour mill. The other trucks lose their smiles when they later discover a cake instead of cement. The next white powder that the cement mixer tries comes from the sugar factory and becomes frosting. The book is smartly designed, and the refrain gives nothing away ("The cement mixer mixed up the white powder, added a little water, and presto!"), while the visuals, through signage, show the cement mixer's mistakes, with the results revealed after the page turn. Background colors depict the passing of the day, and as the sun sets, the cement mixer finally ends up at the factory with the "cement" sign. The next page shows all the happy trucks admiring a new building. The cement mixer has one final stop before ending the day—the soap factory. A giant citywide bubble bath leaves all the trucks clean and ready for a good night's sleep in the garage. Geometric art in bright, flat colors pops from the pages, as do the engaging personalities of the trucks. Through it all, the cement mixer remains determined, and upon the book's close, it seems likely that tomorrow will be a smoother day. VERDICT This tale's tight plot and winsome characters serve the dual purpose of exploring the world of vehicles and emphasizing the rewards of perseverance. A surefire storytime selection.—Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Bulletin for the Center... - 07/01/2016 A cement mixer arrives on the construction site with a broad smile and a can-do attitude: “How can I help?” The other trucks advise him to “mix up some powdery white cement.” He gets the “powdery white” part right but can’t quite come up with the “cement” part. In his first attempt, he goes to a flour storage facility and, mixing his load with water, makes a gigantic cake. Second attempt is at a sugar warehouse, and the powdered sugar and water turns into icing. Three’s the charm, though, and his penultimate mission results in a load of cement and a sturdy building. Why penultimate? Because the mix master makes a final trip to the soap factory for enough powder to give all the trucks a much-needed bubble bath. The toylike character of the work vehicles and the joyful silliness of the plot will appeal to the storytime crowd, and timely pauses before critical page turns will elicit predictions of our muddled hero’s next creation. The artwork is sleek and crisp, with the towering structures and grainy textures suggesting an ever-so-appropriate Brutalist architectural style. Take out the Matchbox collection and get to work. EB - Copyright 2016 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Loading...
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