Farmer Dale's Red Pickup Truck

Title: "Farmer Dale's Red Pickup Truck"

Author: Lisa Wheeler

Illustrated by: Ivan Bates 

Reading level: Ages 4-8 

Grade Level: Pre-kindergarten-Second

Paperback: 40 pages

Publisher: Sandpiper (August 1, 2006) 

Language: English 

ISBN-10: 0152059121

Hold on its going to be a bumpy ride. Farmer Dale and his red pickup truck are hauling a lot of hay from one place to the next. While a bunch of animals are on the side of the road farmer Dale is nice enough to stop and give them a ride. The animals he picks up are a bunch of bossy animals. After all the animals are picked up a problem a cures, there is TO much weight in the truck that it gets stuck!

How can they get out? Do they work together or do all the animals that Farmer Dale picks up walk away and not help?

What a great story to read to children and teach them about always lending a hand to anyone in need. Farmer Dale gives a ride to every animal that is on the road ( this however could also be a great story to teach children about not getting into a car with someone you do not know). The characters in the story are all animals so at times it can be hard for a child to connect with. The story could of been written out using human but it would not have been as funny and cute. The characters in the story  fit the setting great. On a farmer what else would you see other then animals from a cow to a dog. The animals in the story are one that we all can relate to each animal is given a different way that describes them such as bossy cow or woolly sheep. I believe the authr is trying to get the point accorss that no matter who you are you should always lend a hand to those in need. I can see she used animals to get her point across and she did a wonderful job.

 The elements used in the story are personification, onomatopoeia, and allegory. The allegory is shown though out the whole story. This story helps us better understand the meaning of helping someone and lending a hang to those in need. Farmer Dale lets the animals into his truck for a ride and then when his truck gets stuck they animals are there to help him get his truck out. The personification is also shown through out the whole because the animals are given human characteristics such as talking, driving a car, having the ability to walk on two legs, etc. The last example is onomatopoeia which is seen when the truck is moving or the animals are speaking. What a great story to read to children, not only one that teaches a lesson but one that is fun and exciting to read. 

The illustrations in the story are great, they are warm, fun, and colorful. Each pictures brings its own personality to the story, because each animal has its own way of being. An example of this is when bossy cow comes into the picture you can just see that he is going to be a bossy cow. I love with illustrates are able to capture a personality in a picture. A mini-lesson I would do with this book is talking about stepping out and doing something good for another person. I think it would be a great way to teach children of what helping other people out looks like and how we should always lend a hand. It also is a great story to teach children that it is not okay to get into a car with someone you do not know. What a great book teaching two lesson and offering such a fun and exciting story. This book is so fun and I will use it in my future classroom.