Cars Galore


If only there was a way to offer a book a tune-up after it leaves the production line..

THREE PROS
*Bob Staake's illustrations were cool and definitely had my son's eyes bouncing around each page  
*Very forward-thinking to include alternative fuel machines as a group -- could inspire your child to help change the world one day
*As someone who has napped in the car at my fair share of rest stops, I liked the entire section dedicated to this element of driving culture

THREE CONS 
*One could argue that part of the adventure is matching each phrase to a corresponding nearby vehicle, but I found it a taxing diversion from the story to have to locate which one was which 
*Peter Stein's text wasn't bad (dragged on a little long though) -- still, it felt like more of an afterthought 
*I found it odd that the book is crammed with cars with the exception of a large white space on the back cover -- did Stakke get a cramp that caused him to throw in the towel right before the finish line

ONE DAD'S OPINION
I was so confident that I was gonna like this one after thumbing through it at the library, that it's actually going to be tough for me to retrace my steps and find where it took a wrong turn.  Rather than do that, let me compare it to an automotive situation I am familiar with.  For most Californians, this description will make sense -- for everyone else, you'll have to use your imagination a little bit.  Interstate 5 is a long, boring road that offers the easiest path from the Bay Area to the LA Basin.  It's for the most part flat and straightforward, but does expose you to some interesting terrain along the way.  And, if you can get over the fact that it's an over-five-hour journey, the drive is sort of fun from a test-your-car's-limits standpoint (assuming no kids are in there with you).  All that said, by the end of your trip, you are just happy to have reached your destination.  If, later, anyone asks you about the experience, you'll offer a quick retort about how it was kind of painful but could have been worse.  And, then you'll drift off into your own head wondering why you didn't choose the alternative (flying).  So, in a roundabout way, the I-5 and Cars Galore are not that different.  They are both tolerable but are clearly never the best choice
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Buy / Borrow / DONATE / Destroy



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