From School Library Journal
PreS-A family of scruffy brown dogs sets out in a red convertible packed full of beach paraphernalia. On the road, they encounter pigs on a tandem bicycle, mice on miniature scooters, a pickup overflowing with watermelons, an ice-cream truck, and a double-decker bus filled with animal passengers. The vehicles make a colorful-and noisy-procession, until they reach their destination and everyone settles in for a day of fun at the shore. The minimal text consists mostly of sound effects and simple descriptive phrases. There's not much story here, but the cartoon artwork, done in pastel hues, is energetic and inviting. The mostly plump, always smiling characters are endearing, and their various conveyances are drawn with enough detail to keep children looking. All of the action is set against white backdrops so the layout never becomes overwhelming. An additional purchase that might appeal to Richard Scarry fans.
-Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
PreS. In all kinds of vehicles, many different animals are on an exciting journey. Hippos drive an ice-cream truck, pigs teeter on a bicycle for two, a duck flies a single-engine plane, and many creatures crowd on a bus. At the end of the day, they all reach their destination, "the beach!" where they snack, run, fly kites, and jump in the water with a big splash. The sounds of the simple text and the action in the story make this just right for the lap-sit crowd, and young preschoolers will relish the clear, spacious line-and-watercolor double-page spreads that blend animal characters, vehicles on a journey, and rambunctious play in a favorite place.
Hazel RochmanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
