The Two Cars (New York Review Childrens Collection) [Hardcover]

Ingri d'Aulaire (Author), Edgar Parin d'Aulaire (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 21, 2007 | Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: New York Review Childrens Collection

In The Two Cars the celebrated husband and wife team of Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire, famous for their illustrated versions of Norse and Greek myths, offer young children a playful modern twist on the ancient fable of the tortoise and the hare.

Two cars sit side by side in the same garage. One is fast, shiny, and ready to go; the other is a comfortable old jalopy, a little worse for wear but as reliable as can be. On a magic moonlit night, the doors of the garage swing open and they head out for a spin, each determined to prove that he is the “best car on the road.” Over hill and dale and roundabout they go, encountering—and narrowly missing—trains, trucks, wildlife, and even, in the form of a policeman on a motorcycle, the long arm of the law. Before the two cars’ nocturnal caper is over, each will have discovered the being the “best” is not so simple as you might suppose.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Several classic children's tales return to delight new generations of readers. The Two Cars by the distinguished author/illustrator team of Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire is a modern adaptation of The Tortoise and the Hare, in which safe and courteous driving wins the day. Delicate pencil illustrations and a plot delivered at a pace fit for a turnpike should prove as enchanting to today's automotively inclined children as when the book was first published in 1955." --Publishers Weekly

“Whatever subject the well-known d’Aulaires offer in picture and story to the nursery set will be welcomed eagerly, for they have understanding hearts…” —The Christian Science Monitor

“The d’Aulaires now add to their list of distinguished picture books a fable about two little cars…It’s a jolly little tale with a surprise ending which is a good lesson for all of us.” —The Chicago Daily Tribune

“The Two Cars is a modern story on the hare and tortoise motif for preschool children…by one of children’s favorite illustrators.” —The Washington Post

“[T]his is a just right picture story for all small boys who consider automobiles the most fascinating things in all the world…The pictures are amusing and the personification of the automobiles is done with a masterly use of mechanical detail.” —The New York Times

About the Author

Edgar Parin d'Aulaire (1898-1986) studied art in Germany and France, and worked with Henri Matisse. In Munich, he met Ingri Mortenson (1904-1980), a Norwegian-born art student. They married, emigrated to the US, and began a long career together, during which they published over twenty picture books for children. The Magic Rug was followed by Ola and East of the Sun and West of the Moon, both of which describe Norwegian folklore. Their work shifted to American history with Abraham Lincoln, a biography which won the 1940 Caldecott Medal. The d'Aulaires were awarded the Regina Medal from the Catholic Library Association in 1970.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: NYR Children's Collection (August 21, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590172345
• ISBN-13: 978-1590172346
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 0.4 x 7.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #582,552 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Memories, December 10, 2004

By 

Gagewyn (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Two Cars (Library Binding)

I and my brother used to fight over who got the copy of this from the public library. Later when the library decessioned the badly mauled (not just by us) book, my mother got that copy.

The story concerns two cars: an old car and a new car. They agree to have a race. The old car takes it slow, or at the speed limit anyway, and the new car goes speeding off. Speeding tickets and roadside assistance result in delays for both cars, and they are neck and neck (or bumper and bumper) at the finish. You may be surprised at who wins.

The writing is good for children who have learned to read, but are not too advanced. There are illustrations and they tell the story, but they are better used if someone is reading to the child. This is a book that I and my brother had both memorized from rereading it, if that gives you any indication of the book's quality.

The edition I have is printed in 1955. It has been heavily used, but the binding is good and the pages are not brittle. I can tug on pages and they are strong and firmly bound. An older edition of this book could withstand day-to-day use by children today.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars My son loves it but odd ending, January 1, 2010

By 

drK (Ann Arbor, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Two Cars (New York Review Childrens Collection) (Hardcover)

This is similar to the tortoise-and-hare story but with an odd twist which doesn't entirely make sense to me. It's basically old car versus new car in a race, only at the end, the slow old car gets pulled over by a police officer who congratulates him on his great driving (and meanwhile, the new car drives by and wins the race). But the old car is happy because he "won the praise." It's nicely written and has lovely pictures, but I still can't get over the ending.

My 3yo loves it, however, and wants it read most nights, though I'm not sure he really understands the moral of the story (which I'm still trying to understand myself). Kids understand that "winning the race" is good; I'm not sure they can pick up the subtleties of: "praise can be better than winning."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite book, August 25, 2009

By 

William J. Foster "philfromwaterbury" (Connecticut) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Two Cars (New York Review Childrens Collection) (Hardcover)

This was my favorite book growing up. Unfortunately it was located at my grandmother's house and I was only able to read it once a year. This is great adaptation of the tortoise and the hair. At the time it was considered a modern interpretation. Now the cars etc are dated which lends to the story.

I had to give this to my god son.