* “Pinkney returns to an artistic style similar to On The Ball with simple, colorful, and energetic illustrations. . . . Full of onomatopoeic lines, this would be an excellent storytime read for an audience that loves trucks or puppies, or hopefully both. A first purchase that is sure to please.”

– School Library Journal, starred review

“Pinkney’s swooping, ribbonlike ink lines and splashes of bright color pop off the cream-colored pages. Detailing is minimal and evocative. . . . A joyful celebration of imagination at play.”

– Publishers Weekly

"Pinkney brings this story to life with a pale-yellow background for the acrylic and India ink illustrations, in which the swift movements of the boy, Puppy Truck, and the squirrel are ever apparent. Since this story has so few words, preschool readers will easily be able to tell it on their own after a few times of hearing it read aloud. An important mirror book for the youngest of black and brown readers, this lighthearted story will likely be a favorite for storytime—especially with little ones who love things that go VROOM!"

– Kirkus Reviews

"The artwork, resembling sketches with its free-flowing figures outlined in india ink, are loosely filled in using bright, cheerful acrylics. . . . An encounter with another child who has an equally intense imagination opens the possibility of more adventures for Carter and his new best friend."

– Booklist

“Vibrant, saturated tones and swirling shapes, only semi-contained by thick black outlines, reflect the protagonist in motion and highlight the warmth and comfort of his (grown-up free) imaginary play. . . . The sound effects interspersed throughout the straightforward main text provide lots of opportunities to make both animal sounds and truck noises—a win-win for a large subset of preschoolers.”

– The Horn Book