VROOM! The roar of a loud engine grows closer. The garbage truck is here! My boys’ faces light up as they jump in excitement. Dad scoops up our youngest while our oldest rushes to follow. We watch as the mechanical arm grabs our bin—EEEEE—hoists it high, then shakes the contents into the truck—DUH DUH DUH. THUD! Back on the ground. We wave at the garbage man, and he waves back with a friendly HONK.
What started during the pandemic as a weekly event to look forward to has become a cherished tradition. These garbage truck books for kids capture all the excitement my boys feel on collection day.
The Wheels on the Garbage Truck
By Jeffrey Burton, Illustrated by Alison Brown
This playful twist on “The Wheels on the Bus” follows a garbage truck on its collection route. From the arm on the garbage truck that goes lift-lift-lift to the hopper that goes squish-squish-squish, celebrate the sounds and movements of trash collection day. Watch the author play guitar and sing along with the book!
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Maisy’s Recycling Truck
By Lucy Cousins
It’s trash day! Maisy and her friend Tallulah drive a recycling truck through town. They collect glass bottles, yogurt cups, and cardboard from friends they meet on their route. The recyclables are then taken to the factory to be made into something new. Lucy Cousins’ vibrant illustrations and cheerful characters make learning about recycling fun and engaging!
Love Maisy? Check out Maisy Goes on a Plane and Maisy Goes to the Eye Doctor in other posts, or explore the Maisy Series.
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Trash Truck
By Max Keane
This heartwarming story celebrates the unlikely friendship between a little boy named Hank and a garbage truck. The author was inspired by his own son’s love of their local garbage truck, making the story feel authentic and relatable. This book captures the magic of childhood imagination—and it’s also an animated Netflix series!
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I Stink!
By Kate McMullan, Illustrated by Jim McMullan
Follow a garbage truck with a big personality as he “eats” up trash while you sleep at night. See the stinky things he collects from A to Z, all told from his perspective. This award-winning story with bold illustrations and playful text has been adapted into the lighthearted animated series The Stinky & Dirty Show that my sons adore.
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Trashy Town
By Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha, Illustrated by Dan Yaccarino
Meet Mr. Gilly, the hardworking trash collector who cleans up Trashy Town. He empties the trash cans from all around town into his big trash truck. Kids will love the catchy, repetitive text that makes this story fun to read aloud. This cheerful story helps children appreciate the community helpers who keep our neighborhoods clean.
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Every Monday Mabel
By Jashar Awan
For Mabel, Monday is the best day of the week—trash collection day! This sweet story captures a young girl’s weekly excitement for the garbage truck. Our garbage pickup is also on Mondays, and my boys share that same enthusiasm when they hear that familiar engine. The vibrant illustrations capture the childhood wonder found in a seemingly ordinary routine.
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Construction Site: Garbage Crew to the Rescue!
By Sherri Duskey Rinker, Illustrated by AG Ford
The Construction Site trucks plan to renovate a vacant neighborhood, but before construction can begin, they need help cleaning it up. They call on a mighty crew of garbage trucks to help clear and haul away all the junk. Fans of the ‘Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site’ series will be entertained by the rhyming text and teamwork theme in this new story.
More from this series: Find Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site in our bedtime post and Construction Site: Taking Flight in our airplane travel post.
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These garbage truck books for kids have been read countless times in our house! They’ve turned collection day from a simple routine into an event worth celebrating. If your little one lights up at the sound of that engine too, these stories will be right at home on your bookshelf.
Have any of these garbage truck books become must-reads in your house? I’d love to hear about your family’s favorite trash truck stories in the comments below.
Happy exploring!