My Little Yellow Taxi [Bargain Price] [Hardcover]

Stephen T. Johnson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2006

Caldecott Honor artist Stephen T. Johnson puts kids in the driver's seat with this irresistible companion to the bestselling My Little Red Toolbox. With sixteen interactive features at their fingertips, eager young drivers will learn just what it takes to get their taxi ready to roll: The mirror needs to be adjusted, the oil needs to be checked, the engine needs to be started . . . and there's lots more to do! As an added bonus, a clock on each page counts down the minutes, introducing the concept of telling time. And with its sturdy construction, this taxi is built to be "driven" again and again. Fasten your seat belt and get ready for fun!

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

STEPHEN T. JOHNSON has illustrated many books for children, including two by Robert Burleigh: Goal and Hoops, an ALA Notable Children's Book and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. He lives in Kansas.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 14 pages
• Publisher: Red Wagon Books (October 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152164650
• ASIN: B0011T0EWI
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.1 x 2.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,248,529 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm playing here! I'm playing here!, December 17, 2006

By 

E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: My Little Yellow Taxi (Hardcover)

To succeed in the world of children's book publishing, an author/artist needs to exhibit a certain level of flexibility. If your first book for kids is a rousing success you may certainly coast on that for a while, but eventually you'll want to expand your horizons. The best artists out there, be they Paul O. Zelinsky, Maurice Sendak, or Faith Ringgold, know how to switch gears and try entirely new things. I mention all this because I cannot wrap my head around the books of Stephen T. Johnson. If flexibility is a talent then this man's a veritable contortionist. Look at his past for a moment. He puts out "Alphabet City" and "City By Numbers" which were realistic and industrial and clever. Then at the same time there's "My Little Blue Robot" and "My Little Red Toolbox", which made the idea of an interactive book more tangible than ever before. Turn around again and he's putting out "Hoops", "Love As Strong As Ginger" and "The Tie Man's Miracle", with yet another different look. Finally we come to 2006. On the one hand Mr. Johnson paired with Diane Siebert to put out the magnificently reviewed, "Tour America: A Journey Through Poems and Art". Then you turn around again and in the same year is "My Little Yellow Taxi". "Taxi", truth be told, will encounter far more fans than "Tour America" if only be deint of its amusing premise. As long as you are able to break-in the book before your kid gets ahold of it AND you find a way to keep all the pieces together, this may well be the best loved title your entling ever receives.

The book puts the child reader in the driver's seat of a taxi cab. Literally. Kids are given the chance to operate their very own car. They can check their tire pressure with a removable gauge. They can look in the glove compartment, adjust the shiny shiny mirror, and even place the key in the ignition. This being a taxi and all, kids can also set the fare box so that the taxi is available for rides. Then, as you reach the back of the book, there is a little removable taxi just waiting to be driven over, under, around, and about for the car-loving child's pleasure. Part book, part interactive toy, what "My Little Taxi" achieves is the ability to make books fun for book-phobic little ones.

The nice thing about the title is that aside from the fare box, kids that read this book needn't be familiar with what a taxi cab is. Just as long as they've seen a car, they'll be happy. And trust me, cars are a continual fascination for some little ones. Often I'll find myself directing children under the age of three to the car section of the library so that they can stare in wonder at the pictures of shiny automobiles. Put this book in their hands and their interest immediately skyrockets. Of course, in watching kids play with this book I've determined that left to their own devices, these future drivers of America haven't the clearest of ideas on what to do with each page. For example, one kid removed the tire gauge and proceeded to move it about the carpet, making little "vroom vroom" sounds as he did so. Another took the car key and did his darndest to start the tires. With adults at their side, however, this book is a perfect learning tool. Not only is it accurate (albeit with a slightly outdated yellow cab as its guide) but you haven't lived until you've sat in a room of ten librarians all playing "car" and waiting their turn to have a go at it.

The objection to Johnson's "My Little" books in the past is the quality of the construction. "My Little Taxi", unfortunately, is no different. The book is simultaneously too well put together in some parts, and too poorly constructed in others. Take, for example, the driver's side door. In one book the door broke clean off of the book itself on a first read, leaving at least one library patron more than a little perturbed. On the opposite side of the spectrum, my co-workers and I were convinced for a very long time that not all the doors in this book actually opened. The glove compartment, for example, seemed welded in place. After some extraordinary tugging and pulling and swearing and crying, however, we were finally able to wrest that little door open. So my advice to you is this: Find the strongest person you know and prior to handing this book to a child make them open every door, window, and tab allowed. Once an item is removed from the book it slides in and out with relative ease. Otherwise I doubt very much that the strength in your four-year-old's arm is going to make much of a dent here.

Now, we have a circulating copy of "My Little Taxi" in my library. This may or may not be a mistake. Many of the parts in this book are small. There's a section that shows kids three different street signs, all of which are removable and all of which are small enough to lose. The problem with "My Little Robot" (aside from the fact that if you placed a heavy object on top of it you'd hear it squeal) was the missing components. I like to think that this will be less of a problem with "My Little Taxi", but keep a sharp eye out at all times just in case.

No, it's not perfect. No toy with removable parts is perfect. I can't imagine why a book should be any different. However, I will tell you that exactly one hour after I placed a copy of this book in my library's display window, a patron walked up to me demanding the title immediately. When I told her that our circulating copies were all checked out she almost begged me to remove the display copy so that her daughter could see it. The book's a hit with everyone and it pretty much constitutes a sure-fire 100% hit with any and all children under the age of 6 (some would say 8) you hand it to. Worth the clean-up.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for little car fans!, January 9, 2007

By 

Mike and Matt's Mom (Elgin, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Little Yellow Taxi (Hardcover)

My boys loved the little red toolbox--My Little Yellow Taxi did not disappoint! The pieces are pretty stiff initially, but are so much fun for them to play pretend with. Like the toolbox, the book is cardboard, so it does wear. But that does not deter them from filling the taxi up with gas, or using the key to start the engine. A great book for car trips!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars we love the taxi book, January 9, 2007

By 

J. Kirk (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: My Little Yellow Taxi (Hardcover)

My 4 year old loves, loves this book. I also got it for a playmate who is 4 years old, and reported back he also loves this book. It is SUCH fun it is hard for the children to be gentle with it, and it is only cardboard. My kudos for making "just a book" so strong, but even so, it can handle only so much abuse. I do have to put it away when younger children come over, because it has suffered mishaps and I've had to repair it. I would definately wait until your child can "care" properly for a book before getting this one.