Cargo the Army Truck is an Australian hero and is nearly 60 years old. Born in 1964 and having a very successful career in the army before retiring, we have followed his adventures in Australia delivering food and other supplies to cut off communities during the rainy seasons. We have also read about him helping stranded farmers, rescuing a stranded dog, teaching children about safety and being prepared, and even seeing how he relaxes by chilling out at home with his furry friends. Now Cargo is back for another adventure in book #5 of this children’s book series in Cargo and His Mates!
In The Adventures of Cargo the Army Truck: Cargo and His Mates! written by Paul Dekmetzian, Cargo is going to introduce readers to some of his mates that he has travelled the world with. Get ready to meet Tippy the Tip Truck, Shorty the Land Rover, Bella the Rescue Helicopter, Bevan the Jeep and John the huge Crane Truck. And this time, Cargo is not confined to Australia!
Cargo and his new friends all served in the army together and are mates for life. They have travelled all around the world, seeing sites such as The Leaning Tower of Pisa and Big Ben. They have fixed roads, rescued people and helped people in their own unique and special ways.
Overall, The Adventures of Cargo the Army Truck: Cargo and His Mates! is a good and simple story of lifelong friendship and introduces children to the delights of what various army vehicles do during their working lives (and even in retirement). It shows how each vehicle is different but just as important as each other with the varying tasks they are capable of.
The story is simple. Easy to read and follow for young readers and the bold, bright and colourful illustrations bring the story to life.
Whilst it introduces Cargo’s very good friends and their adventures around the world, it also has the underlying message of being a good mate means to be friendly, kind and generous – and to help people whenever you can.
This is a great little story that reluctant readers who love different kinds of vehicles will enjoy. It is easy to read and not overbearing for young readers. The illustrations are fantastic and the story of friends being there to help others is excellent.
The Adventures of Cargo the Army Truck are good stories with positive messages that children will love, and all the more because Cargo is a true hero!
Cargo is a real retired army truck and the exploits featured in the series are based on true events. If you want to learn more about the true story of Cargo, other than through the reading of these wonderful books, there is also a very informative and interesting news item from Australian television’s ABC’s Countrywide program about the exploits of Cargo the humanitarian army truck. It is approx. 24 minutes in length but is definitely worth a watch (click on the video below to watch).
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £8.49 (Paperback) / £2.59 (Kindle)
Available to buy from Amazon here.
