Everything I Know about Cars

Gr 1-4 -Like Lichtenheld's "Everything I Know about Monsters" (S & S, 2002), this pseudo-nonfiction book presents a wealth of made-up stuff. It's chock-full of fun fake facts about automobiles, such as "Red cars are the fastest kind" and horses invented cars (hence the term horsepower). Other sections focus on the history of motor travel (beginning with cavemen putting steering wheels on animals), how cars work ("the transmission -transmits; the suspension - suspends"), and how to be a passenger ("Your next duty is to test the power windows. Down. Up. Down"). The book ends with tips for kids on how to design and draw their own vehicles. The conversational text is plentiful, but is made less intimidating by the plethora of wacky cartoon illustrations. Using ink, colored pencil, gouache, and watercolor, Lichtenheld depicts everything from an ancient Egyptian dune buggy to a "Heli-Hat" to a detailed map of a family road trip. The illustrations and the narrative have just enough body and potty humor to amuse readers but not gross them out. The result is "Mad Magazine, Jr." meets "Auto Repair for Dummies". The mix of madcap illustrations, irreverent text, and kid-friendly humor is sure to attract even the most reluctant readers. -Catherine Callegari, San Antonio Public Library, TX

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.