This Truck has Got to be Special - Hardcover

3.83

18 ratings by Goodreads

9789383145423: This Truck has Got to be Special

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 9383145420 ISBN 13: 9789383145423

Publisher: Tara Books, 2017

This truck has got to be special!” says truck artist Zarrar to Chinar Gul, a truck driver from Pakistan. Gul who drives along the mountain roads of the Karakoram and the Hindu Kush has finally acquired his own vehicle and wants it painted beautifully. As Zarrar gets to work, Gul waits in the yard, thinking about his many journeys, the splendor of the hills and the intricacies of truck art until everything is at last ready and it’s time to be off, on the road again!

A richly imagined collaboration between a Pakistani writer, truck artists and an Indian illustrator, this book celebrates the energy and joy of Pakistani truck art as well as the artists whose skill and labor breathe life into it. All along, the bold graphic vigor of truck art tells its own story.

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About the Author:

Anjum Rana is a Pakistan-based interior designer who works with truck artists on furniture, walls, household objects as well as objects d’art. Through the initiative Tribal Truck Art, she has helped develop opportunities and contexts for truck artists to practice their craft in sustainable ways. She is committed to bringing this art into mainstream cultural life and give it the recognition that it so richly deserves. Anjum Rana is a recipient of the UNESCO Seal of Excellence in Handicrafts Award in 2008.

Hakeem Nawaz and Amer Khan are truck artists who work closely with Anjum Rana. They were trained from their early teenage years by elders in their family, and today are acknowledged masters of the art form. In the art projects they undertake with Anjum, they have retained their original brush-strokes, but have also grown adept at drawing on smaller surfaces as larger ones.

Illustrator and designer Sameer Kulavoor lives in Mumbai, India. His work lies in the intersection of graphic design, contemporary illustration and art and he has his own studio, Bombay Duck Designs. He publishes artbooks and zines which feature characteristic mannerisms and images of urban life, design and culture.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 1–4—After years of traveling around Pakistan, driver Chinar Gul can finally afford his own truck. So he hires his friend to paint it for him, which is a tradition in this part of the world. As Zarrar slowly paints the truck, Chinar Gul recounts his life story and talks about his culture and experiences. While some will find this narrative incredibly interesting, the tale meanders and lacks focus. The images of the trucks are breathtaking; the vivid details stand out even more against the simple black-and-white backgrounds. The trucks are the most engaging part of the tale but unfortunately aren't featured prominently. An author's note explores truck art and the writing process. Educators may want to incorporate this work in a unit on street art or Pakistani culture, though there are no maps or photos of actual trucks to make this a strong nonfiction resource. VERDICT Might be of use in special collections or for curricular tie-ins. Otherwise, not recommended for general purchase.—Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI

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