POETRY PICTURE BOOK - Poem-Mobiles: Crazy Car Poems by Patrick Lewis and Douglas Florian

Illustrated by Jeremy Holmes

2014, Schwartz & Wade Books

HC $17.99

32 pages

Goodreads rating: 4.14

My rating: 4.5

Endpapers: Dark brown tire treads on another deep brown

Illustrations: "rendered in pencil and watercolor, then digitally colored (I wish I knew what that means!)

Giant Bookmobile of Tomorrow

I am a very moving van.

Driver: he's the Gingerbread Man.

Fuel: imagination power.

Speed: a dozen aisles per hour.

Whether it be comic strips,

Poetry at your fingertips,

Picture books or trivia,

The Wizard of Oz, Olivia,

My bookmobile has just one goal:

To entertain on cruise control.

but kids get on at every block

And I forget to watch the clock.

So if my van is "overdue,"

It's okay if you are too.

    

        J. Patrick Lewis

Balloon Car

My dadddy drives a car that floats

an inch aabove the street --

a hundred colorful balloons

tied to a bucket seat.

And once he blows his xar up,

Daddy never wants to stop.

But boy, does he get made at me

When I call out -- "Hey POP!"

J. Patrick Lewis

My comments:  This book of crazy, wacky poems is just plain fun.  I plan to use it as a writing starter/prompt with my fourth graders....read them a poem without sharing the illustration, get them to sketch what they see in their minds eye from the words alone, then share the illustration.  I can see the writing continuing on from there...some of my clever kids will fly!

Goodreads: The U.S. Children's Poet Laureate and an award-winning children's poet join their prolific forces in this picture book of poems about cars. But they're not just any cars: there's the "Sloppy-Floppy-Nonstop-Jalopy" ("So unique there is no copy"); the Bathtub Limosine ("With hot water heating / And porcelain seating"); and the "High Heel Car." Each of the thirteen quirky, inventive poems will speak directly to the imaginations of children, as will Holmes's high-concept, detail-filled illustrations.

Hot Rod Hamster - Cynthia Lord

Illustrated by Derek Anderson
Scholastic, 2010
$16.99
32 pgs.
Rating: 3.5
Endpapers: Front: Race signage
Back: Driving away with prizes

Colorful and "rollicking", this rhyming, rhythmic story will make an enthusiastic read aloud. A tiny hamster (I like hamsters better than mice, myself) goes to the junk yard to find and create a race car for himself. He adds tires, engine, a paint job, and he's ready to face event he largest competitors. He doesn't fret that he's so tiny. And rolling underneath another car, he's the first to go through the checkered flag at the end of the race!

"Smooth wheels, stud wheels, driving through the mud wheels,
Fat wheels, thin wheels, take her for a spin wheels."

The illustrations are bold and colorful - all the way to edge of the page. There's one that's really great - just before the race, Hamster is looking fierce and saying, "GRRR, I'm built for speed." Love the look on his face. Determination.

I'm not sure I like the speech clouds, but I love the couplets and the illustrations and the shiny font on the cover.

I just checked out Cynthia Lord's blog. She lives in Maine and has included some really intense SNOW photos. I love Maine. I loved living in Maine. But I don't miss the winter there, not even the teeniest, tiniest little bit. I do like her blog.