"To keep it running smoothly, / your car needs time and care. / Check the oil and water. / Pump the tires with air." A pedestrian rhyming text and cartoony illustrations give basic information about driving and car care and then look at a few different kinds of cars that people drive. This is for hard-core preschool car fanatics.

Enhancing the Amazing Machines series aimed at preschoolers, Mitton deals with the vehicles that kids and adults use every day. He offers, however, the unique perspective of the role cars play in our lives: "Cars are really handy / for getting us around." But there's so much more. In lilting rhymes, this informal guide glances at the way drivers use signs and signals to navigate streets. It also looks at how a car is driven from the pedals on up, how to keep a car running with gas and care and even how to keep it spiffy with a wash. Mitton touches on different types of cars from off-road vehicles to racing cars. There's frustration, too, with driving: "Sometimes there's a traffic jam. / The vehicles all get stuck." The illustrations, painted in zesty watercolors, have a cartoon appeal featuring round-eyed animals, such as gophers, mice and cats. Topping it all off with a simple diagram of car parts, this is an enjoyable learning tool that will surely ignite curiosity. (Picture book. 2-5)

PreS-Gr 3-Not only is this picture book chock-full of lively, rhyming text and vibrant, action-packed art, but it is also rich in facts that will educate as well as entertain young readers. Mitton's easy-to-read narrative is made even more appealing by Parker's cartoon animal drivers. This altogether amusing, animated approach to the wonders of all automobiles is an appealing offering. It is sure to be a hit with the preschoolers, makes for an excellent storytime selection, and fits nicely into transportation units.-Andrea Tarr, Corona Public Library, CA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.