Calling all cars

PreS-K-This aptly named picture book features an extensive assortment of cars and their zany animal drivers. The book depicts travelers driving to the beach, over mountaintops, past a demolition derby, and through snow, among other locales. The cars include typical vehicles like yellow taxis and limousines as well as more eccentric automobiles like "circus-clown cars," "rainbow-bug cars," and "starry-view cars." The text zips along with rhythmic gusto until the day is finally done and the cars become more subdued and park for the night at a campsite or in a garage in a quiet suburban town. This successful collaboration combines brisk and spirited writing with bold, effervescent pictures and will have wide appeal to young readers. Fliess's punchy rhymes mimic the speed and energy of the cars being described, making for a lively read-aloud, while Beise's illustrations are jam-packed with brightly colored cars, animated characters, and expansive backgrounds, with each picture taking up a two-page spread. The winding road that runs through each illustration passes seamlessly from one page to the next, leading readers through a buzzing, busy world of cars. VERDICT Young car enthusiasts will enjoy the ride through this zippy, robust picture book.-Laura J. Giunta, Garden City Public Library, NY © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Automobiles galore in this ode to the particular set of pleasures and miseries that occur in a world full of cars. The fun begins with a white rabbit clad in purple clothes. "Big cars, small cars, / let's call ALL cars!" the rabbit bellows into a megaphone, as a highway full of animal-driven cars twists around a group of soft blue, bright green, and sunny orange buildings. Each double-page spread offers a surplus of amusing sights: three pigs in a convertible, a kitten chauffeuring a royal pair of lions, love-struck snakes hugging and tugging their cars too close together. Beise's digital illustrations pop with vivid colors. Lots of curves and circular shapes make up the varied landscapes, providing a sense of momentum to the whole endeavor. At times, Fliess' sing-along wordplay enlivens a scenario. Full of "traffic jam cars," "honking horns and changing lanes," the rhyming couplets bounce off the page, and small pictorial details continue this playful gesture. Yo-yos and crayons blend in with trees and shrubs, as A-B-C building blocks stack up beside buildings. The final image zeroes in on a young child clutching a car in bed, ending the call on a quiet note. All in all, it's an infinite loop of automotive joys interwoven with a rather charming narrative. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.