If I Built a Car

If I Built a Car
by: Chris Van Dusen

OK, hold onto your seat.  This is big news.  I am not a Dr. Seuss fan.  I know, I know, he did amazing things for children's literature, but I get creeped out by his illustrations and annoyed by rhymes completed with made up words.  I read Dr. Seuss and share with my son, but it's pretty low on my list of favorite night time reads.

Enter Chris Van Dusen.  My modern day, non creepy Dr. Seuss.  "If I Built a Car" was our first introduction to Van Dusen's work and I was hooked.  The rhyming couplets will remind you of Seuss' pace and rhythm but the illustrations are like eye candy.  This book has particular appeal for me since I, too, continue to dream of building my own car...just ask the GMC dealer who had to make all the tweaks on our most recent car :)

Kids will enjoy the fantastical out of this world items that our protagonist, Jack, imagines for his car.  They'll also enjoy filling in the blanks as you read along as the coupled rhymes are easy to guess.

Recommended age (School Library Journal): Preschool - 2nd Grade