If I Built a Car (Paperback)

by Chris Van Dusen (Author) "Jack, from the backseat, said to his dad, This car is OK..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2-With descriptions and a rhyme scheme clearly inspired by Dr. Seuss, a little boy relates all of the wonderful things about the car he plans to design, including safety features, a pool, a robot driver, and the ability to go underwater and fly through the air. The rhyme scheme works well enough, although at times the rhythm falters. The artwork is the real draw here. The brightly colored, crisp, cartoon-style illustrations, reminiscent of the Jetsons, are likely to keep viewers' attention. The full-bleed pictures are animated and detailed, and the boy's dog, which appears in each picture, ties the images together nicely. This slight story may attract young fans of vehicles, but readers looking for a plot will be disappointed in what is essentially an extensive laundry list of the automobile's attributes.-Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
K-Gr. 2. A young boy decides to design a better car than the old family station wagon. Driven by a robot, his sleek, supercharged vehicle can drive underwater and fly, and the interior includes a snack bar and swimming pool. The story is told in jaunty rhyming couplets, but the fun really comes from the illustrations, which perfectly parody 1950s' visions of the future, as depicted in such magazines as Popular Mechanics. The car glides past neat suburban homes with wide and perfect lawns, where everything is bathed in pastels. This may appeal more to parents (or, perhaps more accurately, to grandparents) who remember these renderings of technological dream worlds. Still, children will enjoy the exuberance and goofiness of the double-page spreads, such as the close-up of the expansive snack bar, which dispenses burgers, fries, and Cheez Whip on command. Todd Morning
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (June 14, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142408255
• ISBN-13: 978-0142408254
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 9.7 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #18,623 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Children's Book Ever, November 15, 2006

By	J. Strout (Downers Grove, IL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: If I Built a Car (Hardcover)

This book is amazing. My 6-year-old son loves it, and my wife and I quite enjoy it too. The artwork is beautifully done, colorful, crisp, and bright. The writing is superb too -- perfect rhythm and rhyme, but not forced; I dare say it's better than Dr. Seuss. And the concept of this book really captures the imagination: this amazing car and all that it can do. One thing I especially appreciate about it is that the car does not change from page to page; it's completely self-consistent, even though each page points out some amazing new feature. I also love the front and back inside cover -- they're covered with sketches, in the front showing earlier ideas for the car that didn't make the cut, and in the back, showing the final design, like a rough blueprint.

We got this book from the library, but I'll be buying a copy, and looking for other books by the same author. No other children's book has ever impressed me like this one did.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read Aloud for my 4 year olds, September 11, 2006

By	L. Kalman (Porter Ranch, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: If I Built a Car (Hardcover)

This is the first book I have read by this author and it is absolutely amazing. Done in rhyme, a child describes in perfect detail what the construction would be for his fine automobile.

I read to my children every night and I read someone else's review at Amazon and stumbled upon this book, I have to say it is a huge hit, and it's been included in our reading selection during every daily read aloud. My kids are starting to memorize it and they just got it a few days ago!

I can't wait to receive his other books! Buy this book, you won't be dissapointed!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love it and all his others!, June 29, 2005

By	S. Brougher "Always in the kitchen mom of 3" (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: If I Built a Car (Hardcover)

Mr. Van Dusen has done it again. Just perfect. I just love all his books. When your kids want you to read the same books over and over, these are great. I don't get tired of reading them. The illustrations are wonderful. In this one, the little boy has copies of Chris Van Dusen's books in his room and you meet up with Mr. Magee and Dee while driving your car on the lake. Perfect books! I can't wait for more.