Drive

Clement makes a noteworthy picture book debut with this day-in-the-life story of a trucker, as told through the eyes and succinct words of his young son. Aficionados of the truck genre won’t find any big surprises here in terms of the shape of the story—Daddy is a skilled, unfailingly polite and conscientious driver. “Daddy’s on time,” notes the boy after his father is shown taking a coffee break at a truck stop, “because there is more work to do,” and while Daddy is up before dawn, he makes it back home in time to play a sunset game of backyard ball. It’s Clement’s visual storytelling that sets this book apart, and gives many of the images all the power of a six-cylinder, 16.1-liter diesel engine. Working in big, streamlined shapes; flat, bright colors; and shiny, airbrushed-like surfaces, he evokes a deco-esque world where the combustion engine reigns supreme and humans and trucks are closely related species. Unusual and often cinematic perspectives—a thigh-high view of Daddy gripping the gear shift, a bumper’s-eye view of a traffic jam—plunge readers into the action and give the compositions a red-blooded energy. Some kids may still find the pictures a bit chilly, especially as the face of Daddy and other people are never seen. But most will take one look at his awesome truck, his strong hands and his beefy physique, and see all the makings of a hero. Ages 2-8. (Feb.)