The score is tied at the end of the first period. Hockey players skate off the hacked-up ice, while the motormouth in the announcer's booth taunts the Zamboni , as the ice resurfacer calls himself, "SHAZAMBONI!" This machine doesn't just do the job, he does it with attitude and explains his many functions along the way. Racing the clock, he scrapes, shaves, squirts, vacuums, spritzes, and smooths the ice with jive and finesse. Seventeen minutes later, he is finished and savoring the crowd's cheers: "COOLEST JOB in the world, right here, baby." The eighth picture book in the McMullans' series that began with I Stink! (2002), this volume has it all: a confident hero, an annoying antagonist, and a well-defined mission, accomplished with style. The droll, succinct text is well matched with the appealing watercolor-and-gouache artwork. Portraying the proud, hardworking Zamboni on the ice, the illustrations personify the machine while showing how it cleans up the rough ice and lays down a smooth surface. Highly recommended for hockey fans as well as truck-lovers.

K-Gr 2 Our story begins with a sports commentator narrating a hockey game. A player trips on the rough ice, and a Zamboni has 18 minutes "to do his thing." Can he do it? Readers who've read any of the McMullans' odes to big rigs, like I'm Mighty! (2003) and I Stink! (2002, both HarperCollins), will already know the answer. Our hero takes the stage, stating, "Chill, Big Talker. I've got what it takes to go the job. "Cause I'm a blade-packing, ice-shaving, snow-eating, water-spraying, slush-slurping, towel-dragging triple-tank truck. Yup." He smooths the ice, and the game continues. "Coolest job in the world, right here, baby." The colorful, grinning Zamboni is whimsical but also informative, as he boasts about the blade and augers that make the job possible. VERDICT The authors are clearly still having fun with this format, and their young fans will, too. Amelia Jenkins, Juneau Public Library, AK