Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things That Go
By Carrie R. Wheadon,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Excellent vocab builder is also big wacky fun.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
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What's the Story?
The pig family drives their car from home to the beach for a picnic and home again. Along the way they encounter almost every imaginable vehicle on the road, rail, and waterways, and some only Richard Scarry has imagined -- such as a giant pickle truck, a hammer car, and a wolf wagon. Meanwhile Officer Flossy is in hot pursuit of Dingo the dog who knocked over a whole row of parking meters in his flashy red car and is trying to escape a ticket. \"Go get him, Officer Flossy!\"
Is It Any Good?
Long story short, this is a book that really grows with kids and gets them pointing, talking, laughing, and learning; what a wonderful investment.
Parents can approach this book in many stages. Toddlers, with their shorter attention spans, get the "point and laugh" method, attention given to silliness like the pickle truck and a cheese car filled with mice. Months later, a bit of the storyline can be added. Kids can track the pig family car, and parents can try to get through some of the text. Or just follow Officer Flossy as she chases Dingo -- another exciting option. When parents get through the whole story for the first time it's a real accomplishment.
Then it's time to find Goldbug on every page. That could involve a whole week of intense study and lots of shouting "there's Goldbug!" Then you can return to the story and enjoy it all over again.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about things that go -- while reading this book and while on the go. What's that car for? What does an ambulance do?
Where's Goldbug? You can look for the little gold bug on every page.
Why is Officer Flossy chasing Dingo? The book asks the question at the end and so can you: "When will he ever learn to drive properly?"
Book Details
- Author: Richard Scarry
- Genre: Transportation
- Topics: Cars and Trucks
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Golden Books
- Publication date: January 1, 1974
- Number of pages: 69
- Last updated: September 28, 2017
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