Crazy Cars: Mark David

Crazy Cars by Mark David is just pure, unadulterated fun! It's a picture book, but with complex illustrations suited for older kids. Both Mheir and I noticed a strong resemblance to Dr. Seuss books (though Mheir also wondered if kids of this age are interested in cars, or if they only like trains and firetrucks). Each page features a ludicrous, over-the-top sort of car, with detailed illustrations that reward careful perusal. There are also witty little text asides that will entertain older kids or parents. Here are some examples:

• The Windster is like a giant tricycle, with a series of sails and propellers to keep it moving in a breeze. It "comes with a handy spare set of maps."
• The Luxury Resortster is a vacation destination on wheels, complete with white-water rafting, golf, and drink service. Readers will be glad to know that "Due to popular demand, the new deluxe model has all the features of the regular model but comes with brakes."
• Also on the Luxury Roadster page is the note: "If you enjoy changing tires, you'll love the Luxury Roadster", accompanied by a tiny picture of a shell-shocked man surrounded by spare tires.
• The Millispeed is a car that consists of many tiny segments connected together. "It will seem like you're getting places in no time. In fact, the front of the car will be at the shops before the back has even left the garage."
• The Chefrolet cooks breakfast, and features both cow and chickens for providing raw materials. There is even entertainment for the cow, because "The best milk comes from contented cows, and nothing keeps your cow contented like round the clock Cow Channel."

You get the idea. I really loved this book. It brought me joy, looking at the exaggerated and complex illustrations, and reading the clever little asides in the text. I can see kids, especially boys, poring over this book, while their parents derive the occasional grin from the text.

Book: Crazy Cars
Author: Mark David
Publisher: Kane/Miller Book Publishers
Original Publication Date: September 2006
Pages: 32
Age Range: 4-8
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher