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.