Towed by Toad
by Jashar Awan; illus. by the author
Preschool, Primary    Tundra    48 pp.
9/24    9781774883488    $18.99
e-book ed.  9781774883495    $10.99

Toad drives the tow truck for Pop’s Garage, his dad’s car repair shop. Toad is so busy that he bolts out the front door before the title page, skipping the insect his father has fried for him for breakfast. Vehicular calamities abound. “Catie cat has a flat. Davey dog hit a log. Mayor Hop forgot to stop. Stanley Snout’s engine fell out.” The punchy text uses short sentences and consistent rhythm with periodic bursts of rhyme, giving this a read-aloud cadence and momentum. The digital illustrations are a blend of spare, subtle, and energetic. Characters and vehicles appear as spot images in textured, relatively subdued hues on white backdrops, creating a warm, calm contrast to the nonstop accidents and Toad’s frenzied activity level. When the tow truck breaks down, Toad insists he can handle it himself, but when his efforts end in his kicking the car in frustration (“Wait, Toad—that’s not going to help!”), Toad realizes it’s time to call Pop. “Everyone needs help sometimes.” With its clear plot, welcome predictability, and straightforward language, this book will be a smash with the preschool crowd while also satisfying the needs of beginning readers.

From the ">November/December 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.