By Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphrey
In a world where anything old is easily discarded for a new or improved version, The Old Truck by the Pumphrey brothers is a breath of fresh air. This is a simply told story of a truck that worked “long” on a farm and then “grew weary and tired.” The illustrations in this story bring more to the story, as the reader keeps an eye on a growing young girl in every photo. Together, the girl and the truck dream of future adventures until, finally, the young girl grows up and becomes “the new farmer” who also “worked long.”
Readers of all ages will enjoy the subtle shift in perspectives and how they play out on the page in both words and illustrations. It is no surprise that the author/illustrator team responsible for this book are brothers. The interplay on the page begs rereading and careful examination.
This is a great book to discuss character and lessons learned. When I asked my own eight year old daughter what she could learn from this story, she sat and thought awhile before replying, “Work hard always and don’t give up.” She then thought some more and added, “When you’re good to someone, they’ll take care of you.”
