In the Driver's Seat

Young readers are placed in the driver's seat of a fantasy ride that takes them up a steep mountain road, into a crowded farmyard, through a tunnel leading to the city, underwater, and across the finish line at a car race.

PreSchool-Grade 1. "Brrrrooom," "Zzzzooooom," "Mooooo," "Rrrrrrrrrrrrt," "Vaaa-rooom" are only a few of the word sounds that will draw children into this rip-roaring, easy-to-read story. Each twist and turn of the driving lesson-turn-race is sure to elicit chuckles. Illustrations are scenes as viewed through the windshield with the steering wheel and dash as the lower part of the frame. All kinds of animals must scurry out of the way as the vehicle travels through country roads and city streets. Unwittingly, the driver is directed by a policewoman into a race, making for a fun finale. Haynes's boldly colored, uncluttered pictures feature surprised animals with Ping-Pong ball eyes. Endpapers are a collage of items from nearly each page of the tale. Lots of participation possibilities make this wild escapade a great selection for storytime; it will also strike the fancy of any youngster who has fantasies of driving a car.?Marsha McGrath, Clearwater Public Library, FL
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

As if from a movie camera's viewfinder, a fantasy drive in a hot little car enfolds. The viewpoint is the driver's: Readers see the top of the bold, colorful steering wheel, stylized jazzy dials on the dashboard, part of the hood, and whatever lies ahead. ``Yikes! Look out for that cow! Mooooo! Turn right, right, right!'' The car goes through a barn, off a mountain, underwater, through a tunnel, and ends up on a race track, in competition to a first-place finish. The surprising obstacles and locales add to the frantic pace of the text, which includes lots of opportunities for honks and beeps. Adults may find the spreads monotonous--the front windshield and dashboard don't vary, of course, but that's precisely why preschoolers will love it. The bold drawings feature the heavy black lines found in many board books, but with more sophisticated shapes; Haynes plays with the signs, racing stripes, and the checkerboard curve of a track, fully conveying you-are-there immediacy to children. (Picture book. 3-5) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.