I Won (Daring Stories)

"Attention please! Is everyone ready for the race?" begins Wielockx (Pilot Pete) as eight multiethnic children run across an empty spread. But they aren't competing in a footrace--piloting an array of land and air vehicles, they overtake each other as the book proceeds. "The tricycle takes the lead. 'I'm going to win!' Emma calls happily," Wielockx writes as a brown-skinned girl with spiky dreadlocks smiles at readers from her trike, her teddy bear waving from a rear basket. A girl named Marie on a Vespa-style scooter passes Emma, but Marie is outpaced by Tessa's jeep, and so on. Readers wondering how, exactly, these children got their motor vehicle licenses receive an answer on the final spread, where it's revealed that the various fire trucks, motorcycles, and racecars are actually part of a carousel. "So..." the author asks, "who actually won?" Solid, brightly colored backdrops keep the focus squarely on each individual vehicle and its driver, and Wielockx's detailed paintings will intrigue mechanically inclined readers while generating a just-competitive-enough sense of fun. Ages 3-up. (Mar.)

Toddler-PreS--On your mark, get set, go! So begins an unusual race in which every child rides a different vehicle. The tricycle takes an early lead but is quickly surpassed by the scooter, which in turn gets overtaken by a jeep, and so on and so forth. Whenever one kid passes another, the previous vehicle's front end peeks over the left-hand page, while the new leader fully occupies the right. In their moment of glory, each child is sure of their victory. However, the narrator breaks the fourth wall to question this, making viewers wonder what will come next and who will really win. After steadily building the excitement, Wielockx genuinely surprises them with the answer. She gives the often hollow saying "everyone's a winner" new validity with her clever ending. Boys and girls from various ethnicities participate, and each has an equal chance of winning. VERDICT A fun, colorful book, with a lively pace, tone, and, topping it all off, a meaningful message.--Rachel Forbes, Oakville Public Library, Ontario, Canada

Young readers will love the vast array of vehicles: a jeep, a quad bike (!), a cool bus covered with flower paintings. I love the design of this book: the vibrant illustrations pop off the page, the name of each new vehicle is in bold letters, and each spread has a solid, bright backdrop. Those familiar with my blog know that I love surprise endings, and this title has a great one. How are these pint-sized characters driving fire trucks and planes? All is revealed on a charming, surprising final spread. - MR. BRIAN'S PICTURE BOOK BLOG