Trashy Town

Trashy Town

Meet Mr. Gilly. He cleans up Trashy Town. There’s trash at the pizza parlor, trash at the school, and trash at  every  house. It’s a big job, but Mr. Gilly does it with a big truck, a big smile, and loads of style. Trashy Town features a rhythmic, repeatable refrain that will have children clamoring for repeat readings. Dynamic art from acclaimed illustrator Dan Yaccarino puts the zip in Mr. Gilly’s stride and adds style and charm to trash collection. Perfect for fans of all books about things that GO and how things work—plus for units on community helpers. Dump it in, smash it down, drive around the Trashy Town! An ALA Notable Children’s Book PreSchool-K-This jaunty look at garbage collection makes a backbreaking job look like fun. Yaccarino's illustrations are appealingly childlike and have a slightly retro look. They show a brightly colored, if somewhat messy, town-definitely in need of the trash collector's cheerful care. Simple shapes and minimal detail suggest various locations (the school, the park, the pizza parlor) but keep the focus squarely on Mr. Gilly as he goes about his appointed rounds. At the same time, two small rodents appear in each double-page spread, providing continuity as they introduce a playful element to the story. The repetitive, rhythmic text makes it easy for children to chime in. Preschoolers will especially appreciate the refrain, "Dump it in, smash it down, drive around the Trashy Town! Is the trash truck full yet? NO." Like the pictures, the type has a solid, almost blocky appearance; it is easy to read and contributes to the book's design. Entertaining enough to be read just for fun, this simple selection will also appeal to teachers looking for stories about community helpers. Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. PreSchool-K-Sporting big gloves and a friendly smile, Mr. Gilly drives his garbage truck about town. An exuberant crash-bang refrain and bold, blocky illustrations will have preschoolers chanting along and clamoring for more. Good clean fun. (May) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. Mr. Gilly the trashman puts on his gloves, climbs into his truck, and goes to work. He finds trash at the school, park, pizza parlor, doctor's office, and fire station, landmarks familiar to most preschoolers. At each stop, he empties the cans into his truck to the refuse refrain, "Dump it in, smash it down, drive around the Trashy Town!" When he has collected all the town garbage, he drives to the dump and empties his truck, proudly proclaiming, "I dumped it in. I smashed it down. I love to clean up Trashy Town!" Then he takes off his gloves, goes home, and takes a bath. Short energetic sentences propel the tale. Young children will quickly perceive the story pattern and be anxious to join the narrator at the appropriate places. Employing primary colors dominated by bold blues, Yaccarino's vibrant art has a retro look. His use of shape with minimal detail is a perfect match for the directness and simplicity of the story. Reminiscent of Margaret Wise Brown's best work, this is right on the mark for young children. Linda Perkins PLB 0-06-027140-X Listeners will quickly take up the percussive chorus``Dump it in, smash it down, drive around the Trashy town! Is the trash truck full yet? NO''as they follow burly Mr. Gilly, the garbage collector, on his rounds from park to pizza parlor and beyond. Flinging cans and baskets around with ease, Mr. Gilly dances happily through streetscapes depicted with loud colors and large, blocky shapes; after a climactic visit to the dump, he roars home for a sudsy bath. Part of a spate of books intent on bringing the garbage collectors in children's lives a little closer, this almost matches Eve Merriam's Bam Bam Bam (1995), also illustrated by Yaccarino, for sheer verbal and visual volume. (Picture book. 5-7) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. I dump it in I smash it down I drive around the trashy town Meet Mr. Gilly. He cleans up Trashy Town. He does it with a big smile and a big truck--which is sure to make him a hero with all the children in the neighborhood. David Clemesha and Andrea Zimmerman have created a rhythmic, repeatable refrain that will roll off the lips of every child. Dan Yaccarino's dynamic art puts the zip in Mr. Gilly's stride and adds style and charm to trash collection. 2000 Notable Children's Books (ALA) ANDREA ZIMMERMAN AND DAVID CLEMESHA have written several picture books, including Trashy Town, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino. They live in California. David Clemesha received his B.A. degree from UCLA and his M.A. degree from San Diego State University. Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha are co-authors of My Dog Toby, The Cow Buzzed, and Trashy Town, which was an ALA Notable Book. They are married and live in San Diego, California, with their three sons. Dan Yaccarino is an internationally acclaimed author-illustr