Customer Reviews

Car Wash

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It's time to take the car to the car wash when the family automobile goes through a huge puddle and gets thoroughly splashed by the muddy water. The car wash is a fascinating place that requires closed windows while traveling through a foamy deluge where giant octopus arms whomp against the windows, creatures hide in seaweed, and tidal waves come crashing. Enchantingly illustrated by G. Brian Karas, Sandra and Susan Steen's fanciful tale of a car wash adventure is highly recommended and entertaining reading for youngsters preschool through first grade.

Sandra and Susan Steen have written many children's books together (yup, they're sisters), and "Car Wash" is especially enjoyable. Kiddos who love car washes will get a kick out of the ride here, as the siblings in the back seat pretend that they are deep-sea adventurers. But even kids who are spooked by going through the car wash will enjoy it, too, as it suggests a different attitude and a different approach for their next trip.

G. Brian Karas has done some remarkably imaginative illustrations here, incorporating paint, glass beads, strips of sponge and fabric, and so on to create a textural collage. It's lots of fun, and perfectly complements the manner in which a car wash incorporates all different sounds, smells, and rhythms.

What a great adventure---to experience a car wash. This book brings a child out of the car and into another world experiencing an imaginative view of a car wash. With plentiful colors and big illustrations, this book is an excellent choice for young children who cannot read or just beginning to read.

My almost three year old daughter loves going to the car wash and she loves this book. The simple story is about two kids and a parent who take their muddy car through the car wash. As they go through the wash the kids imagine their car is a submarine and they have an underwater adventure. They kids imagine they pass coral reefs, sea monsters, sharks, and a giant octupus. Once the car is clean, the family goes out to lunch and then it's oh no! dirty car all over again. The illustrations are done collage style using fabric, pearls, and buttons. It's a very cute story and an easy read. Whenever I am tired and my daughter is begging for a story I reach for this book. There are very few words on the page so I can sit back, relax, and let her narrate the story for me. We both really enjoy this book.

This is one of those books you can act out and do sound effects for. The illustrations are very original--they seem to be collages of found objects.

The book is an account of the children's imaginary journey underwater while going through the car wash. Very appealing to preschoolers. Not too many words per page, so it keeps young children interested. My 3-year-old son loves it!

I love this book, just as much as my young boys do. I love how the authors start off with the dirty car pulling up to the car wash and then enters an underwater adventure.
The brushes are octopus legs, the dryer is a shark's mouth, the spraying mists of water are a hurricane...
It's so simple and yet it's written and drawn so beautifully. I love reading this to my boys. It never gets old.

And in the end, the car gets dirty again!