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Cars and Trucks and Things that Go/simplified Chinese Edition/Hardcover
Although this book was around when many of today's parents were youngsters, it has remained a steadfast must-have in every toddler's library. For starters, it's a great vocabulary guide that names the many things that go (and some that haven't a prayer of going, but are great fun to imagine anyway). It's also teeming with detail-rich scenes and characters on every page, teaching children the rewards of looking long and closely (such as finding the hidden "Goldbug" in each spread). Along the way it entertains with the silly and slapstick--everything from toothpaste and toothbrush cars to six fire department vehicles that show up to extinguish a ladybug-size fire in a miniature pink convertible. What's most amazing about this book, however, is its longevity. When you purchase it for your fledgling talker, you should consider it an investment. Even 11-, 12-, and 13-year-olds are known to pore over the book nostalgically, cooing at Lowly Worm and eagerly tracking Officer Flossie's book-long chase after that irresponsible, speedster driver in a cowboy hat. (Ages 2 and older) --Gail Hudson
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1974
38 people are currently reading
2535 people want to read
About the author
Richard Scarry
1,299 books501 followersRICHARD SCARRY is one of the world's best-loved children's authors EVER! In his extraordinary career, Scarry illustrated over 150 books, many of which have never been out of print. His books have sold over 100 million copies around the world, and are currently published in over twenty languages. No other illustrator has shown such a lively interest in the words and concepts of early childhood. Richard Scarry was posthumously awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Illustrators in 2012.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 344 reviews
November 9, 2007
An entomological deconstruction of America's obsession with speed and motion. Poses the highway as a cite of disordered exchange and anxiety. The motorist is both weeping and laughing knowing disaster is inevitable. Trucks become pickles. Pickles become trucks. Hellish.
February 22, 2015
I don't generally put children's books on Goodreads.
This is an exception because I have three boys, each eight years apart, and I have probably read this books a few hundred times, including at least once a day for the last few weeks.
It is amazing and awful at the same time. It takes forever to read because it is so involved and detailed, in addition to being 70 or so pages long. We have gone through a few copies, and my husband now refuses to read it because he says he would never bring it into the house again. But, I had to. They just love it so much.
My favorite thing regarding this book, though, is when my 19yo son reads it to my 3yo -- because once a day from me is not nearly enough of Ma and Pa and Pickles and Penny Pig and all the other things that go.
Sweet revenge.
This is an exception because I have three boys, each eight years apart, and I have probably read this books a few hundred times, including at least once a day for the last few weeks.
It is amazing and awful at the same time. It takes forever to read because it is so involved and detailed, in addition to being 70 or so pages long. We have gone through a few copies, and my husband now refuses to read it because he says he would never bring it into the house again. But, I had to. They just love it so much.
My favorite thing regarding this book, though, is when my 19yo son reads it to my 3yo -- because once a day from me is not nearly enough of Ma and Pa and Pickles and Penny Pig and all the other things that go.
Sweet revenge.
July 30, 2017
Read this to both kids approximately 18 million times, looking for Goldbug on every page.
Mistress Mouse and her minuscule tow truck are the unsung heroes of intricate Busytown traffic.
Mistress Mouse and her minuscule tow truck are the unsung heroes of intricate Busytown traffic.
May 25, 2019
Oon lukenut tän nyt ehkä neljäsataa kertaa. Pikkuhiljaa alkaa puuduttaa, mutta onhan tää kovaa kamaa.
September 7, 2019
Like many other children, my son is OBSESSED with vehicles. Wheels. Cars. Tyres. Trucks. Trains. Diggers... you get the idea. With that comes a propensity towards a certain type of book: non-fiction, diagrammatical, straightforward, terminology-based. Which is great, because that’s what he’s into. I try to jazz up these reads with ad-libbed extra factoids and fun traffic noises. But after the tenth or eleventh such book on its twentieth or thirtieth reading, I am done. Reading labelled engine parts does get a little dry after a while. If only there were another way... cue Richard Scarry. Who I can’t thank enough for his refreshing take on the genre.
Combining information, mockumentary, eye spy and story in equal measure, Cars and Trucks and Things that Go is the solution to boring-vehicle-book fatigue. The busy pages are crammed full of labelled illustrations of every mode of transport you could imagine (and loads of new vocabulary to learn, even for young vehicle experts!) These are accompanied by two main stories: one of a (pig) family on a journey to a picnic, and another of a (cat) police officer chasing a terrible (dog) driver. Many exciting subplots ensue along the way, including a detour through the airport and a car on fire.
The language used addresses the child head-on and involves them in the action: “Look!”, “Now what?”, “Oh no!” On every page are questions and puzzles that encourage close observation of the details. The humour is just fantastic. I enjoy the surreal pies, melons and pickles that I recognise from Scarry’s other books. My son prefers the doughnut car and “Auntie Pastry”, which have both resulted in much hilarity.
Props to Scarry for including some female characters, and not just prissy ones. The badass police officer, the mechanic who repairs trucks, the driver of a sports car. Ma puts the snow chains on and Grandma owns a farm and operates a tractor. This representation is so important. Richard Scarry was ahead of his time, and again, I’m grateful for that.
My son adores this book, is invested in the story and is engaged in learning more about his favourite subject. Most importantly, he finds it a lot of fun (and less importantly, so do I!) Scarry has not put a foot wrong here, and both myself and my son would highly recommend.
Combining information, mockumentary, eye spy and story in equal measure, Cars and Trucks and Things that Go is the solution to boring-vehicle-book fatigue. The busy pages are crammed full of labelled illustrations of every mode of transport you could imagine (and loads of new vocabulary to learn, even for young vehicle experts!) These are accompanied by two main stories: one of a (pig) family on a journey to a picnic, and another of a (cat) police officer chasing a terrible (dog) driver. Many exciting subplots ensue along the way, including a detour through the airport and a car on fire.
The language used addresses the child head-on and involves them in the action: “Look!”, “Now what?”, “Oh no!” On every page are questions and puzzles that encourage close observation of the details. The humour is just fantastic. I enjoy the surreal pies, melons and pickles that I recognise from Scarry’s other books. My son prefers the doughnut car and “Auntie Pastry”, which have both resulted in much hilarity.
Props to Scarry for including some female characters, and not just prissy ones. The badass police officer, the mechanic who repairs trucks, the driver of a sports car. Ma puts the snow chains on and Grandma owns a farm and operates a tractor. This representation is so important. Richard Scarry was ahead of his time, and again, I’m grateful for that.
My son adores this book, is invested in the story and is engaged in learning more about his favourite subject. Most importantly, he finds it a lot of fun (and less importantly, so do I!) Scarry has not put a foot wrong here, and both myself and my son would highly recommend.
May 19, 2025
Great for kids that like cars, but the pages are quite cluttered. This is purposeful of course but takes away from enjoyment as an adult. Kids can focus on what interests them, but this will make it difficult for the adult reader to actually follow the plot that somehow exists between the pages
November 28, 2022
This is a delightful book filled with tons of cars, which my toddler absolutely loves. Each time we read this book, we find something new to enjoy. I highly recommend this book if your child loves cars and trucks.
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March 19, 2025tak naprawde tego nie przeczytalam. przeczytalam fanfika. dosc mocnego.
November 3, 2018
I keep wanting to buy books as presents for toddlers I know, but then when I get to the bookstore, I draw a blank on which books have really been a hit with Leo and me. So I'm going to put a few books on a shelf here to remind myself, for when I need to buy books for kids.
I remember reading Richard Scarry to a child I babysat for in high school, but I still let this book sit on our shelf for a while unread. We discovered it a few weeks ago, and we're kind of blown away by it (well, I am.) There is just so much to discover in this book, and so many Easter eggs to find. I also feel like it's really right-brained. You can read it however you want to. Just lounge around on one page for ten minutes and then hit some other random page. We've worked on it for several weeks and I think I've only gotten to the last page once. Anyway, I just find this book so charming. Leo spent a week obsessed with how, on the second page, Dingo Dog runs over the parking meters. First he had to understand what it was all about. What are parking meters? Why does Officer Flossie have a bicycle? etc. Then, he just thought it was hysterically funny that Dingo Dog was RUNNING OVER PARKING METERS! Dingo Dog! We don't run over parking meters!! We put money in parking meters!
I haven't tried any other Richard Scarry books yet, so can't compare. I do think I'd especially go out of my way to buy this for a child with a particularly visual or right-brained parent. for ages 2,3&4.
I remember reading Richard Scarry to a child I babysat for in high school, but I still let this book sit on our shelf for a while unread. We discovered it a few weeks ago, and we're kind of blown away by it (well, I am.) There is just so much to discover in this book, and so many Easter eggs to find. I also feel like it's really right-brained. You can read it however you want to. Just lounge around on one page for ten minutes and then hit some other random page. We've worked on it for several weeks and I think I've only gotten to the last page once. Anyway, I just find this book so charming. Leo spent a week obsessed with how, on the second page, Dingo Dog runs over the parking meters. First he had to understand what it was all about. What are parking meters? Why does Officer Flossie have a bicycle? etc. Then, he just thought it was hysterically funny that Dingo Dog was RUNNING OVER PARKING METERS! Dingo Dog! We don't run over parking meters!! We put money in parking meters!
I haven't tried any other Richard Scarry books yet, so can't compare. I do think I'd especially go out of my way to buy this for a child with a particularly visual or right-brained parent. for ages 2,3&4.
July 17, 2021
I’ve read this around ten times in the last week. Four stars automatically because my son loves it.
Criticism: I don’t like how Dingo Dog is a bad guy with no motivation. I like my kids books to have villains who have some sort of explanation why they cause trouble.
Goldbug steals the show.
Criticism: I don’t like how Dingo Dog is a bad guy with no motivation. I like my kids books to have villains who have some sort of explanation why they cause trouble.
Goldbug steals the show.
January 6, 2019
This is the coolest classic storybook!! So many things are happening on each page, it truly encourages a dialogue with your little person and a keen eye to seek out that silly Goldbug hiding on each page. It took us three sittings to finish this book, but it was worth it to see if Officer Flossy ever caught up to that rascally Dingo Dog!
March 13, 2017
Bez względu na to czy jesteście fanami serialu "Tropiciele zagadek" czy też jeszcze go nie znacie, warto zaprzyjaźnić się z postaciami stworzonymi przez Richarda Scarry na potrzeby tej kreskówki. W wersji książkowej mieszkańcy Pośpiechowa przemieszczają się wszelkiej maści pojazdami i maszynami, przy czym głównymi bohaterami jest rodzinka świnek, wybierająca się na przejażdżkę.
"Auta, maszyny, pojazdy i wszystko do jazdy" to 68 stron bogato ilustrowanych przygód z motoryzacją i niezwykłymi maszynami, ale nie tylko :) To między innymi również odkrywanie kartka za kartką perypetii Chrząszczunia - robaczka, który bardzo sprytnie ukrywa się wśród innych postaci i pojazdów.
Kreatywność, jaką wykazał się twórca wymyślając nieszablonowe samochody, jak na przykład "ząbkowóz" czy "ogórkowóz" jest po prostu niesamowita, a zainteresowanie jakie budzą one wśród najmłodszych nieprzeciętne. Książeczka doskonale nadaje się do treningu koncentracji, spostrzegawczości oraz wymyślania historii. Bawi i intryguje od pierwszej do ostatniej strony, dzięki czemu ani dziecko ani czytający, a raczej przeglądający ją wraz z pociechą dorosły (teksty są bardzo krótkie i sympatyczne), nie mogą się nudzić. Ala poleca! I jej mama również :)
Dziękujemy Wydawnictwu Babaryba za możliwość poznania tej pozycji.
"Auta, maszyny, pojazdy i wszystko do jazdy" to 68 stron bogato ilustrowanych przygód z motoryzacją i niezwykłymi maszynami, ale nie tylko :) To między innymi również odkrywanie kartka za kartką perypetii Chrząszczunia - robaczka, który bardzo sprytnie ukrywa się wśród innych postaci i pojazdów.
Kreatywność, jaką wykazał się twórca wymyślając nieszablonowe samochody, jak na przykład "ząbkowóz" czy "ogórkowóz" jest po prostu niesamowita, a zainteresowanie jakie budzą one wśród najmłodszych nieprzeciętne. Książeczka doskonale nadaje się do treningu koncentracji, spostrzegawczości oraz wymyślania historii. Bawi i intryguje od pierwszej do ostatniej strony, dzięki czemu ani dziecko ani czytający, a raczej przeglądający ją wraz z pociechą dorosły (teksty są bardzo krótkie i sympatyczne), nie mogą się nudzić. Ala poleca! I jej mama również :)
Dziękujemy Wydawnictwu Babaryba za możliwość poznania tej pozycji.
May 25, 2020
Класна книга з чудовими жартами та кумедними ілюстраціями. Син обожнює сюжетну арку з Рудохвостиком та песиком Панасом. Також дуже його веселять їстівні машинки типу гарбузомобіля або бананамобіля. Читаємо український варіант виданий «Ранком», переклад чудовий
August 22, 2025
Only for this book will I celebrate car culture.
March 1, 2025
Holy shit are there a lot of Cars and Trucks and Things that go in here! This book is all gas no brakes!
March 12, 2017
I read this to my son almost every night. He loves finding goldbug on every page.
April 4, 2024
My mom and sometimes my dad would read these great stories to me when I was less than four. What a positive way to start life! With the encouragement and support of my parents!
July 1, 2017
Haven't read the book we just flipped through it naming most of the cars. There is just so much in this book, we'll have to revisit it a couple times before we can finish the whole thing. :)
October 6, 2023
Nuostabi knyga! Taip galvoju jau daug metų :)
Ypatingą dėmesį į ją siūlau atkreipti tuo atveju, jeigu jūsų mažyliui svarbu ratai, mašinos, sunkvežimiai, kranai, šlagbaumai,... ir visi kiti važiuojantys, besisukantys ir su važiavimu susiję reikalai.
Knyga iš pirmo žvilgsnio gali pasirodyti "neskaitoma", nes parašyto teksto ten nėra ypatingai daug, bet iš ilgametės patirties galiu pasakyti - ši knyga įtraukia ilgam. Galima ilgiausiai apžiūrinėti ir komentuoti paveikslėlius, vis surandant kažkokių naujų detalių ar veikėjų. Galima atrasti veikėjų, kurių istorija tęsiasi per kelis ar net visus knygos puslapius. Aptariant iliustracijas vaikai sužino labai daug naujų žodžių, sąvokų, taisyklių. Knyga skatina mažus nenuoramas ilgam sutelkti dėmesį apžiūrinėjant "veiksmo vietą" ar kažko ieškant. Ji žadina vaikų vaizduotę, nes šalia realių mašinų čia važiuoja ir įvairūs bananmobiliai bei pieštukmobiliai... Knygos "razinka" - kiekviename puslapyje pasislėpęs mažytis Zvimbalas, kurį surasti dažnai būna tikras iššūkis ne tik vaikams, bet ir suaugusiems. Ši užduotis tikrai reikalauja ypatingo dėmesingumo ir kantrybės.
Rekomenduoju!
Beje, ši knyga buvo mėgstamiausia mano sūnaus knyga - buvo laikas, kai jis net eidamas miegoti ją guldydavosi šalia, o Zvimbalas buvo vienas iš pirmųjų ištartų žodžių. O dabar šia knyga susižavėjęs dvimetis anūkas - su susidomėjimu aiškinamės visas knygoje vykstančias veiklas ir su užsidegimu ieškom pasislėpusio Zvimbalo:)
Ypatingą dėmesį į ją siūlau atkreipti tuo atveju, jeigu jūsų mažyliui svarbu ratai, mašinos, sunkvežimiai, kranai, šlagbaumai,... ir visi kiti važiuojantys, besisukantys ir su važiavimu susiję reikalai.
Knyga iš pirmo žvilgsnio gali pasirodyti "neskaitoma", nes parašyto teksto ten nėra ypatingai daug, bet iš ilgametės patirties galiu pasakyti - ši knyga įtraukia ilgam. Galima ilgiausiai apžiūrinėti ir komentuoti paveikslėlius, vis surandant kažkokių naujų detalių ar veikėjų. Galima atrasti veikėjų, kurių istorija tęsiasi per kelis ar net visus knygos puslapius. Aptariant iliustracijas vaikai sužino labai daug naujų žodžių, sąvokų, taisyklių. Knyga skatina mažus nenuoramas ilgam sutelkti dėmesį apžiūrinėjant "veiksmo vietą" ar kažko ieškant. Ji žadina vaikų vaizduotę, nes šalia realių mašinų čia važiuoja ir įvairūs bananmobiliai bei pieštukmobiliai... Knygos "razinka" - kiekviename puslapyje pasislėpęs mažytis Zvimbalas, kurį surasti dažnai būna tikras iššūkis ne tik vaikams, bet ir suaugusiems. Ši užduotis tikrai reikalauja ypatingo dėmesingumo ir kantrybės.
Rekomenduoju!
Beje, ši knyga buvo mėgstamiausia mano sūnaus knyga - buvo laikas, kai jis net eidamas miegoti ją guldydavosi šalia, o Zvimbalas buvo vienas iš pirmųjų ištartų žodžių. O dabar šia knyga susižavėjęs dvimetis anūkas - su susidomėjimu aiškinamės visas knygoje vykstančias veiklas ir su užsidegimu ieškom pasislėpusio Zvimbalo:)
October 28, 2011
This is currently my 2-year-old son's favorite book, so I'm reading it every day. Figured I'd better mark it down here. I know he is following in good footsteps since it was also one of my favorites at his age. Goldbug is on every page and he can find him immediately. I'm very proud.
Here are some highlights:
"bug!" - any bug, not just Goldbug.
"uh-oh!" - a car is on its side, or upside down.
"oh no!" - there is a big accident.
"that car" - whatever car Goldbug is in.
"truck!" - there are a lot of trucks. Spoiler alert!
"teeth!" - one of the cars looks like a toothbrush.
"draw car!" - one of the cars looks like a crayon.
"pig", "dog", "cat" - common sightings.
In conclusion, this is a wonderful book to read to your own toddler. Enjoy! But don't blame me if you read it A LOT.
Here are some highlights:
"bug!" - any bug, not just Goldbug.
"uh-oh!" - a car is on its side, or upside down.
"oh no!" - there is a big accident.
"that car" - whatever car Goldbug is in.
"truck!" - there are a lot of trucks. Spoiler alert!
"teeth!" - one of the cars looks like a toothbrush.
"draw car!" - one of the cars looks like a crayon.
"pig", "dog", "cat" - common sightings.
In conclusion, this is a wonderful book to read to your own toddler. Enjoy! But don't blame me if you read it A LOT.
November 22, 2010
This was one of the books my parents read to me and my brother when we were very young. It is interesting to see how non-linear this book is. The story is very loose, and the pages are very busy. I had a lot of fun finding Goldbug on each page. Probably the strangest thing for me was opening the book and getting a whiff of the way it smelled. It smelled the same as it did over 25 years ago. It was a surreal experience. I was looking for nostalgia and found it with this book. Good stuff.
August 11, 2011
A favorite. I loved this book when I was a little girl, and now my toddler boys love it too. It's got a lot to be interested in. Sometimes we do just a few pages of pointing and discovering; other times, we do almost the entire book. The boys can be occupied with it for a long time too. If they aren't picking out different vehicles, they are looking for the hidden "Goldbug" on each spread. And if they aren't looking for him, they are looking at the different animals and situations. It's a wonderful book for children.
July 27, 2014
This is our breakfast companion book, known to my son as 'huge book'. It is a 'huge' book, filled with many illustrations of Scarry's imagined (and some real) trucks, planes, trains, and vehicles of all kinds. He loves having me read the story, looking for the hidden 'Goldbug' in each page spread, and coming up with his own names for the vehicles. Lots to look at, like most of Scarry's books, so we spend a lot of time with it. This was originally a library pick, that got renewed a few times, then finally purchased!
May 2, 2009
This book is a delight, surprising in its level of real humor. The ambience created by the diverse cars on the highway and the scenes that they pass is something special, and I find that this Richard Scarry book holds up very nicely over time. My family and I have been determinedly searching for Goldbug in these pages from as far back as I can remember. This book is inextricably tied to a lot of good memories for me, but it stands up quite well independent of those memories, too.
Read
January 5, 2019I just bought this for my little boy for Christmas. He is very into cars and this book did not disappoint. It’s a fun adventure to find Golden Bug on every page. There are so many different cars, boats, planes, you name it! The story line is simple to follow so you can spend as little or as much time in this book. If you wanted to you could probably spend an hour just on this book alone in one sitting.
August 4, 2011
My five year old can find Gold Bug better than me, and I am assuming it is due to some sort of childhood golden innocence, and that when she gets jaded and has a few dreams crushed, the little guy will get harder and harder to see until he finally disappears on the page.
Nothing Gold Can Stay(?) I will do my best to help the golden critter of wonder stay in both of our lives.
Nothing Gold Can Stay(?) I will do my best to help the golden critter of wonder stay in both of our lives.
September 25, 2009
There is no better book to read with a child than this. Lay down on your tummies and flip through the pages, looking for Goldbug and enjoying the trip along with the Pig family. It's fun to point out different things going on on the wildly busy pages! Thank heaven for Richard Scarry!
February 17, 2007
It was awesome when I was four and read it every single night.
December 7, 2012
i love this book!!!
August 28, 2013
I spent hours reading this to my kids. In case you didn't know, gold bug is on every busy page. A wonderful book to read to a curious toddler to pre-schooler.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 344 reviews