Roy Makes a Car (Aesop Prize (Awards)) [Hardcover]

Mary E. Lyons (Author), Terry Widener (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Aesop Prize (Awards)

"If Roy Can't Fix It,

Nobody Can"

Down in Eatonville, Florida, there's a man who can clean spark plugs just by looking at them hard, and who can grease an axle faster than you can say "carburetor." Folks round those parts claim Roy Tyle might just be the best mechanic in the world. But Roy, you know, he never can find an automobile made to suit him. He figures, if a car was built right, there wouldn't be so many collisions out on the road. And so when Roy -- that wonder-making man -- says he's going to make an accident-proof car, there's no telling what he'll cook up behind his double-locked doors....

Based on a tall tale collected by legendary African-American writer Zora Neale Hurston, Mary E. Lyons's souped-up story is perfectly complemented by Terry Widener's bold, dramatic illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-5 - During the 1930s, Zora Neale Hurston collected stories for the Florida Federal Writers' Project, including a two-paragraph tale about a mechanic with amazing skill. Lyons has taken that version and, with the ease of a seasoned storyteller, spun a longer yarn. Roy Tyle's abilities are widely known. "Why, he can grease an axle faster than you can say 'carburetor....'" When he claims that he can make an accident-proof automobile, a gambler challenges him. When the car does everything that Roy promised, the gambler pays up, and Roy sells the machine for a bundle. When he builds a model with winged flaps that he flies "way up in the sky," God spies him and buys it on the spot. "'Tain't no telling what he'll try next." Widener's acrylic paintings are as strong and monumental as the tall tale and reminiscent of Thomas Hart Benton's work. Dramatic angles and points of view enhance the excitement of the story. In the opening illustration, readers look into Roy's eye, which is giving a hard look at the spark plug in the foreground. The drama continues as the artist contrasts brilliant outside colors with the dark, mysterious interior of Roy's garage. Dumbfounded facial expressions reflect the story's straight-faced humor. Children will have anything but straight faces when they read or hear this tale. Southern storytelling at its best. - Carolyn Janssen, Children's Learning Center of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. Lyons expands a two-paragraph tall tale, collected by Zora Neale Hurston for the Federal Writers' Project in the 1930s, into a wildly funny story about a gifted car mechanic. Roy is so exceptional that he can "grease an axle faster than you can say 'carburetor,' and he can clean spark plugs just by looking at them hard." No one believes him, however, when he says that he can build an accident-proof car, "a stabilated, lubricated, banjo-axled, wing-fendered, low-compression, noncollision car." Perfect for reading aloud, the funny rhythmic words are well matched to Widener's exaggerated acrylic illustrations, which show sly Roy and his huge, flying 1930s-style car. Young car enthusiasts will enjoy the silly mechanical details, and Lyon's lively afterword about "storycatcher" Hurston is a delight. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (January 6, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689846401
• ISBN-13: 978-0689846403
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,682,989 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Bigger and Better Machine, January 23, 2005

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Roy Makes a Car (Aesop Prize (Awards)) (Hardcover)

In ROY MAKES A CAR, Mary Lyons presents a story originally collected by the legendary Zora Neale Hurston. In it, we meet Roy Tyle, considered by most to be the best mechanic in Eatonville, Florida. Roy, frustrated by his belief that automobile accidents are the result of poorly constructed cars, claims that he could build a better, safer car. He sets out to do just that and creates a series of vehicles that have locals, out-of-towners, and even God himself, talking.

This story is a pleasant read that young children are sure to enjoy. It has a delightful cadence and the use of language is sure to inspire some laugh-out-loud moments. Terry Widener's illustrations are as big and bold as the yarn that unfolds and I highly commend Lyons for her stellar adaptation of this story. Additionally, I appreciate the fact that books such as ROY MAKES A CAR ensure that future generations are exposed to these stories and that folk tales such as this one will not be lost. (RAWKidz Rating: 4.5)

Reviewed by Stacey Seay, Children's Editor
for The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers