The Old Red Tractor

Tony, in a fit of jealousy, crashes his old tractor in hopes of getting a shiny new one like his neighbor, but when his parents refuse to replace it, and his days are long and boring, he comes up with a creative solution to his dilemma with the help of his uncle.

PreSchool-Grade 2–Tony has everything he could want, including Old Red, a pedal tractor that had belonged to his uncle and his dad when they were small. He is totally content until a neighbor rides over to show off his brand-new tractor. In frustration and anger, Tony drives his vehicle too fast and wrecks it. He's sure he'll get a new one, but his parents' answer of Maybe for Christmas doesn't sound promising. After several boring days, he starts to think differently about Old Red. With Uncle Bob's help, some drilling, soldering, and hammering, Tony learns a lesson and gets an almost-like-new tractor. Children will empathize with the protagonist and feel his envy. The lesson is clear without being didactic. Watercolor illustrations create a somewhat British rural setting for this farm story that transcends its location. The realistic paintings show details inside the farmhouse and in Uncle Bob's work shed. These interior scenes are a calm contrast to the geese flying wildly off the page when Tony speeds by on his tractor. This story leads easily to discussion, and is probably best shared one-on-one.–Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Towhead Tony's favorite item is his miniature red tractor, "Old Red," which first belonged to his father and his uncle Bob. One day, his friend comes over riding his own tractor--with a horn. Suddenly, Old Red is diminished by the comparison--so much so that Tony rides it, hard, into a ditch. The accident gives Tony an idea: his parents can buy him a new tractor. Stunned and angry when they don't agree, he heads to his uncle's house, where Bob is working on his own tractor. As Tony watches, he gets a better idea, and together he and his uncle fix Old Red. Now his tractor is as good as new--better because he worked on it. The message may be too subtle for some listeners, but others will understand Tony's transformation. The expertly executed watercolor art is very^B attractive^B, from the cover picture of Tony astride Old Red, heading for a gaggle of geese, to the last serene scene of Tony driving through the streets of his scenic Swiss town. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved