Dumpy the Dumptruck

Even an old dump truck deserves a second chance. PIt's a sunny morning on Merryhilll Farm and everyone has a job to do, including Bee-Bee the Backhoe and Trundle the Tractor. But one old truck is no longer working; Dumpy lies rusted and broken in the long grass. Charlie and his grandfather decide to fix him up in time to help with the building of a new bar. PThis delightful tale of loyalty and teamwork, the first in a series about the trucks and tractors that work on and around Merryhill Farm, will have children cheering Dumpy on as he is transformed from a broken-down heap into a gaily-painted, indispensable, and beloved truck.

One sunny day on Merryhill Farm, all the trucks are busily toiling, including Trundle the Tractor and Bee-Bee the Backhoe. All, that is, except for one rusty old forgotten fellow: Dumpy the Dump Truck. Relegated to the weeds behind the barn, Dumpy has been gathering dust and mouse nests for a long time. And it looks like the end is near when Farmer Barnes decides it's time for the old barn to come down, and Dumpy to be, well, dumped. "But I love Dumpy," says Charlie, the farmer's son. "It's so sad to get rid of something you love just to make room for something new." His grandfather, Pop-Up, agrees, and before they know it, the two are up to their ears in grease, paint, and tools. But can they finish sprucing up Dumpy before the barn has to come down?p IDumpy the Dump Truck/I is the first in a series about the trucks and tractors of Merryhill Farm by Julie Andrews Edwards (author of IThe Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles/I and ILittle Bo: The Story of Bonnie Boadicea /I, and beloved star of IMary Poppins/I and IThe Sound of Music/I) and Emma Walton Hamilton. Loyalty, teamwork, and an ever-so-subtle message about the value of the elderly are at the heart of this book. After all, Pop-Up isn't ready to be dumped yet either! Tony Walton's watercolors are filled with friendly-featured vehicles and pleasantly scratchy-looking farm animals and humans. If you like Dumpy, don't miss IDumpy at School/I! (Ages 4 to 7) I--Emilie Coulter/I