Big Drive

Gr 1–5—Four girls longingly wave to an airplane high above the field in which they're standing. The sisters wave good-bye to their grandparents and get in the car with their parents to start the long drive home. Unlike a plane trip, the car ride seems endless. They travel through fields, thunderstorms, and rain. They see farms and cows, but little else. While stoic parents keep their eyes on the road, the children argue, play, and irritate each other—until a game with pencil and paper ignites one sister's imagination. Soon a map involves all four girls in collective inventive play. They arrive home before their creative extravaganza is completed. Any family that has ever taken a road trip is likely to see themselves in this short film. Animation combines cartoon-like figures with actual photographs to create an appealing montage. Excellent, lively original music underscores and augments the film's action and movement. Narration in both English and French extends the film's potential use beyond simple enjoyment.—Maria Salvadore, formerly Washington DC Public Library