My Car [Paperback]

Byron Barton (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Come take a ride! Beep beep!

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Sam may be a man of few words, but he is certainly eloquent on the subject of his car. With a bright, bold palette of mostly primary colors, author-illustrator Byron Barton (Trucks, Planes, Machines at Work, etc.) deftly depicts the fondness Sam has for his chunky little car and the care with which he treats it. "I love my car. / I keep my car clean. / My car needs oil / and a full tank of gasoline." Sam also describes the parts of his car, how to drive carefully, and where he likes to go in his car. The story concludes with a twist, sure to delight already rapt readers.

Sam and his acquaintances are unusual-looking, blocky figures, with big black blobs for eyes, and more blobs for nose and mouth. Characters and objects are reminiscent of the cars, signs, and figures in a child's play station. Small details are appealing: the mechanic is a woman, and the car's headlights bathe a portion of the text in yellow. This should be required reading for every driver's ed student; we can only hope that the repeated readings this book is bound to receive will sink in to preschoolers' minds for future recall: "I obey the laws. / I stop for pedestrians. / I read the signs." This is a lovely picture book. (Ages 2 to 5) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

With just a few words per page, Barton (Machines at Work) manages to convey simple car facts and an ending with a twist. "I am Sam/ This is my car," begin the first two spreads. Sam adores his red Beetle-esque car (it comically mirrors his own chunky physique), and he takes all the responsibilities of ownership seriously from maintenance ("My car needs oil/ and a full tank of gasoline") to obeying the traffic laws ("I stop for pedestrians"). Like any car buff, he loves to explain how his automobile works. "My car has lights to see at night," accompanies a painting of Sam driving under a starry sky as the headlights illuminate the typography. On the next page, Sam adds, the car also has "windshield wipers to see in the rain" a lovely scene that Barton renders from the perspective of the car hood, so that readers gaze at the reassuringly unfazed Sam through a curtain of silvery blue drops. Youngsters will be heartened to know that even when Sam goes to work, he gets to stay behind a wheel: he's a bus driver. Barton's world looks as if it were assembled from a toddler's collection of brightly colored building blocks, while his minimalist text has a plainspoken eloquence and subtle rhythm that will survive countless readings. Ages 2-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books (August 10, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006058940X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060589400
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 9 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #290,829 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For All Little Car Lovers....., September 3, 2001

By 

Roz Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Car (Hardcover)

"I am Sam./This is my car." So begins Byron Barton's terrific new picture book and with very few words and bright, bold, geometric illustrations, Sam explains the wonders and responsibilities of car ownership. He keeps his car clean and well maintained, filled with gas and oil. He drives carefully, stopping for pedestrians and obeying road signs. And he delights in the way his car is built and the way it works. Sam shows us some of the car parts, including the engine, wheels, body and frame, as well as the lights, so that he can drive at night and the windshield wipers, so he can see when it rains. And he shows us one of the places he drives, to work, where he boards a bus because he's the bus driver..... Mr Barton's simple, minimal text is perfect for pre-schoolers as young as two and his childlike artwork is charming and engaging. My Car is a must for all little car lovers!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun and informative picture book, October 24, 2001

By 

James W. Tinder (Stockton, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Car (Library Binding)

Barton, the author of "Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs" and "Machines at Work," returns to create a picture book that is fun and informative. Sam likes to drive his car; he keeps it clean, checks the fluids, and discusses many of the car's parts, including the body and engine. He tells how he obeys traffic signs and stops his car for pedestrians. At the end of the story we learn that Sam drives a bus for a living, and enjoys driving it as much as his car.

While some parents may not enjoy the notion of a car being the subject of a picture book, the focus is clearly on the artwork. Bright and vivid tempura paints burst forth in a cavalcade of colors. All primary colors are present, and a particular focus is paid to yellow, green, blue and red. The only drawback is that there is no depth perception to the art; it is rendered in a flat style. This is a small complaint, however, as the colors, straight lines, and curves merge to create a truly unique book. A good introduction for toddlers into the world of color and shapes.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Book!, October 4, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: My Car (Hardcover)

My 17 mo. old loves this book! He gets so excited when I take it out to read. The bright colors and big illustrations are awesome for a toddler. The story is simple and really cute.