Little Blue Truck and Racer Red

Little Blue Truck

by Alice Schertle, Jill McElmurry (Illustrator)

The #1 bestselling Little Blue Truck meets a zippy red race car with a need for speed.

Little Blue Truck and good friend Toad are out for a drive when a flash of red whizzes by—then whizzes back to stop and say hi. Sleek and low, Racer Red is made for speed and loves to go fast! When she challenges Blue to a race, Blue knows that win or lose, it’s fun to try! Beep! Beep! Zooooom!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Transport, Animals, Cars

36 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 25, 2025

About the author

Alice Schertle has written more than 40 books, mostly for children. A mother and former elementary school teacher, Ms. Schertle is a graduate of the University of Southern California. Many of her most famous works are poetic in nature, though she writes about a wide variety of topics.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Little Blue Truck is enjoying a trip down the road with his good friend Toad, they encounter a red racing car - zoom zoom! Racer Red challenges little blue truck to a race. Who will win?

Told in it’s trademark rhyme, this story is a wonderful example of having fun in a race, whether you win or lose. And still being friends and being gracious if you do lose!

This charming little story sets wonderful example for young readers!

[J.P. Sirro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy 5 out of 5 stars for this one! Red Racer is a fun, lively read with a great moral about kindness, teamwork, and how it’s not always about being the fastest. The story moves along with the same charm and rhythm we love from the Little Blue Truck series, and the illustrations are bright and cheerful. My little one was cheering for Blue the whole way. A fantastic story with a heartwarming message for kids!

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely addition to the Little Blue Truck series. I think it’s one of the stronger books in the series. Touches on the lesson that it’s not always about winning or going fast, and that fun times are times with friends.

Great for a read-aloud, or to share one on one.

Highly recommend for school library purchase

[Kate M. Colby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nana gave Jack this book for his birthday because he loves the Little Blue Truck series. When he opened it, he exclaimed, "Little Blue Truck!" He was so excited to read it at bed time after his birthday party. He listened to the whole thing and loved the race car and the number three on her side.

[Harley Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

5★: DOESN’T GO AS EXPECTED. Read to my son, who was humoring me at 5:40am since the original was one of his favorites and his mama is nostalgic. We both agreed on 5 stars. Intended for 4-8 years old; the fable is not the expected “thou shalt not speed” — but I won’t spoil it for you 😄

[William Sime · Rating 5 out of 5]

So glad we preordered this book! So cute and so good with the same vibes and lessons as all the good LBT books. Schertle does it again!

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

my storytime boys will love this one.

[PottWab Regional Library]

E

[Lillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was a great addition to the series - better than the School Bus one.

[Alana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this story, and the messages about not judging others, or activities, before getting to know them.

[Jennifer Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable book for kids and adults! Great little message too.

[Audrey | WellReadandUndead(ish) · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was actually a lot more thoughtful than I expected it to be. I love the life lessons that Little Blue Truck imparts.

[Madeline Tipton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable. My 3 year old loved the race and seeing who won.

[Y.Poston]

cute

[Wolf K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the original, but still cute :)

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best installment since the first, imo!

[Cheryl Gladfelter]

There's just something comforting about Little Blue Truck. This would make a nice storytime book.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story about racing and sportsmanship, this is the story of what happens when a speedy red racer meets the poky little blue truck.

[Cristina Quattrone · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great tool for kids who get overly focused on winning at any cost

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book and this series. These books are supper beginner friendly and have awesome illustrations. The sound words are awesome and great for read aloud.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realize the illustrator passed away 8 years ago despite her name on the cover. Inside it notes it is illustrated in her style.

[Ailish · Rating 4 out of 5]

We're loving the vibes of these Little Blue Truck books! And another great lesson; it's fun to compete even when you don't win.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Little Blue Truck is out for a leisurely drive with Toad, a red race car challenges him to a race.

The moral is that winning isn’t everything.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little Blue Truck and Toad are out for a ride in the country when a bright red car zooms by, challenging them to a race. In the end, Racer Red learns that winning isn’t what makes a race fun—it’s doing your best and spending time with friends.

Short, lively couplets pair with colorful, dappled illustrations to tell a fable about good sportsmanship. Young readers will enjoy the frequent use of onomatopoeia—mainly fun vehicle sounds like beep and whizz—which add energy to the text. Meanwhile, some verses break off just before the page turn, creating suspense to see what happens next. Good for both home reading and library or classroom settings, Little Blue Truck and Racer Red offers an engaging springboard for conversations about fair play, teamwork, and attitude.

Recommended for purchase for ages 2-6, particularly where other books in this series are popular.


Thanks to HarperCollins for this copy via the Southeast Ohio Young Adult Media Group.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Browsing books to give my friends' children as gifts since I won't gift anything I haven't first read myself.

Another winner for Little Blue! I love the message: "win or lose, it's fun to try" and "racing fast or ambling slow, both have their time and place." There was one lone rhyme that tripped up my tongue a bit (first time that has ever happened with one of these books!) but once I caught what the cadence was intended to be, I was able to adjust; repeat reads would eliminate that issue. And I never fail to be enamored with the illustrations from this series, rich and friendly and full of color.