Little Grump Truck

Little Dump Truck is the most energetic, driven, and cheery member of her construction crew… most of the time. However, when undesirable things happen that are out of her control, she sputters and transforms into Little Grump Truck. In an instant, her immense positivity converts into misery that is too heavy a load for one truck to bear. When she is unable to haul or jump, her co-workers give her hollow and disingenuous advice; this causes her grief to transform into frustration. She becomes so exasperated that she explodes in front of the other trucks, causing everyone to get the grumpies.

After the truck releases her disgruntled emotions, she gains the perspective she needs to calm down and reassess the situation. She can’t change how she dealt with her feelings; instead, she chooses to cope with her feelings, confront the other trucks, and apologize for her destructive behavior.

Amanda Driscoll uses alliteration and inventive visuals to effectively display anger. This story is an excellent way to teach children ages four to eight about expressing their emotions in a peaceful manner. Little Dump Truck shows readers that when the “grumpies” inevitably occur, it is better to slowly lighten your load.