Elbow Grease vs. Motozilla by John Cena
Illus. by Howard McWilliam. Penguin, 2019. ISBN: 9781524773533.
(Age: 3-10) Brightly coloured illustrations draw the reader into
this picture book depicting five monster truck brothers competing in
a demolition derby against Motozilla, 'that gnarly monster who turns
trucks into crunch sandwiches'. He is pretty scary. The book will be
a useful tool to generate conversation about a variety of emotions
and relationship skills.
Definitely one to read aloud, as the language in the book varies
from quite simple to very complex words and information. The book
uses both conventional text and speech balloons to convey its overt
message of the value of cooperation, encouragement and hard work.
The book will appeal to 3 to 10 year olds, particularly those who
enjoy a story with conflict, trucks and a dose of competitiveness.
Jan Barwick