Charlie transforms a large cardboard box into his "brand-new car" and invites his mother to be the first passenger on a pretend trip. They travel to many spots around the house which serve as stand-ins for various destinations in the community. The bathroom becomes a nail salon where Mama gets her nails done. A book shelf becomes the library where they share a couple of stories and dance to music. A closet becomes a dress shop, the kitchen a restaurant for lunch (where Daddy joins them), the sandbox a construction site, and so forth. Towards the end, Mama and Charlie agree that they've had the best day ever. The straightforward text guides readers carefully through the circuitous route while capturing the delight the travelers experience along the way. Softly colored illustrations show both mother and son with broad smiles throughout the trip. This small, creative adventure will be just the right size for many would-be chauffeurs.

Inviting Mama to take a spin in his cardboard box car (-the zippiest car in the whole world!-), young Charlie takes firm control of both the driver-s seat and the role of narrator. As Charlie and Mama make stops around their house, mimicking familiar mom-and-kid errands (the library, the diner, the nail parlor), his exuberant running commentary reflects a wealth of observations gleaned as a backseat passenger and Mama-s sidekick. -Back in the car we sing -The Wheels on the Bus- because it-s our favorite traveling song,- writes Best (My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay). -But only you do the motions since both my hands have to be on the steering wheel.- Shin-s (The Red Bicycle) light-as-soufflé vignettes reveal that Mama is game for anything, even letting Charlie apply nail polish at the -Pretty Please- salon (aka the bathroom). Readers may wonder how the car survives a sprinkler shower and a scrub down without falling apart, but otherwise this is a wonderful tribute to an imagination in perpetual motion. Ages 4-6. Illustrator-s agent: Kelly Sonnack, Andrea Brown Literary. (Nov.)