Race Car Count

The flash and thrill of the race car track-it's all here in a zippy counting book just right for the toddler set. . . .When the cars line up for another race, children will cheer.

PreS-K--This charming race car story reinforces the concept of the numbers one through 10 in rhyming text. It begins, "Race car 1 honks, Look at me!/He zooms in front with the turn of a key." Each car in the story is a different color and style reflecting its unique personality. A visual winner, the illustrations are brightly colored and drawn in a cartoon style that will appeal to fans of the "Cars" movies. The text is clear and simple and conveys the fast-paced story. Cars overcome rain, a pile-up, and even chomping gators in this race. But the fun does not come to an end quite yet. At the end of the race, they line up to do it all over again. At the back of the book there is also a page called Meet the Race Cars! In addition to each race car having a separate picture, there is other "vital" information. For example, race car number 9, named Comet, loves milk shakes and collects hubcaps. VERDICT This popular transportation-themed book is sure to be a crowd pleaser.--Robin Sofge, Alexandria Library, VA

Ten brightly colored race cars--Formula One racers, a windup toy lookalike, even a souped-up minivan--vie for first place on their way to the finish line. Neither Dotlich (All Aboard!) nor Slack (Elecopter) is a stranger to vehicle-themed stories, and the book's bouncy rhymes and Matchbox-worthy vehicles (spoilers and bulging hot-red engines abound) combine to create a lively race with some tense back-and-forth moments ("Race car 4, all shiny red, / rumbles, grumbles, pulls ahead"). Sturdy paper stock with rounded corners helps tailor the book to a younger crowd and should hold up to re-readings hinted at by the ending, which sets up a rematch: "All lined up, 10 in a row.../ red light, yellow light, green light... go!" Ages 2-5. Author's agent: Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown. Illustrator's agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words. (Oct.)

A fast-paced, fun counting book.

A Texas 2 x 2 Reading List Selection
An Amazon Best Book of the Month
An Amazon Top Pick for Fall

With its large illustrations, simple text, and important concepts, this title will be enjoyed by newly independent readers, or will ignite excitement in a group. A unique look at the topic. —School Library Journal on What is Science? by Rebecca Kai Dotlich

Ahh! The cuteness! It blinds! Well, that's what you get when you take a rotund, big-eyed baby elephant, give her landing gear and helicopter blades, and send her into the savanna to save animals. Kids will instinctively get it and probably love it. —Booklist on Elecopter by Michael Slack

My three-year-old loves Michael Slack's new picture book Monkey Truck. . . . The artwork is great, colorful and elaborated with lots of details that are fun to talk about during storytime. All told, it's a darned fun storytime treat. —Cory Doctorow, BoingBoing.com on Monkey Truck