Calling All Cars

by Sue Fliess, Sarah Beise (Illustrator)

Key Features Description Filled with vibrant art, adorable animal characters, and cars of all kinds - from love bugs to demolition derby trucks - this playful book is for every child who loves to read about things that go. There's also a surprise Follow one long road throughout this vividly imagined world and find the hidden clues in the artwork! Filled with vibrant art, adorable animal characters, and cars of all kinds - from love bugs to demolition derby trucks - this playful book is for every child who loves to read about things that go. There's also a surprise Follow one long road throughout this vividly imagined world and find the hidden clues in the artwork! Product Details Item #: NTS816185 9781338161854 Paperback Book 32 Pre-K - K Lexile® AD200L Guided Reading GR Level G DRA 12 Key Features Item #: NTS816185 9781338161854 Paperback Book 32 Pre-K - K Lexile® AD200L Guided Reading GR Level G DRA 12

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Transport, Cars, Childrens, Animals, Juvenile

Paperback

First published March 1, 2016

About the author

Sue Fliess ("fleece") is the bestselling author of Robots, Robots Everywhere!, I'm a Ballerina! and How to Trap a Leprechaun, and more than 35 other children's books including Sadie Sprocket Builds a Rocket, Mrs. Claus Takes the Reins, Mary Had a Little Lab, Beatrice Bly's Rules for Spies, and many Little Golden Books. Her books have sold over 850,000 copies worldwide. Her background is in copywriting and PR/marketing, and her essays have appeared in O Magazine, HuffPo, Writer's Digest, and more. Fliess has also written for Walt Disney.

Her books have received honors from the SCBWI, have been used in school curricula, museum educational programs, and have even been translated into multiple languages. The Bug Book was chosen for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library three years in a row and The Hug Book was selected to the Imagination Library Australia.

She's a member of SCBWI, Children's Book Guild of DC, and the Author's Guild. She does book signings, school visits, and speaking engagements.

When she's not writing, she is walking her two silly English Labradors or busy with her two teen boys. She really misses traveling. Sue lives in Northern VA with her family. Visit her at www.suefliess.com.

Reviews

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahh. This book is ADORABLE! A fun, quick escape for what turned out to be a rather busy and crazy day. Every now and then you just have to stop and read a kids book. (hmm, I need to write that down for a potential bumper sticker...)

This book reminded me of a childhood favorite - Go, Dog, Go! It has colorful artwork and a bunch of animal characters on grand adventures in cars. But never fear, parents, this one ends with cars pulling into a garage, turning out lights, and going to sleep.

[Benji · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anything about cars makes me happy!

[Jezire C Akin · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://readjezireread.blogspot.com/20...

This was adorable! All little boys or girls who love playing with cars will absolutely love this. Written in a rhyming style we see illustrations of cars of all types and colors and the animals driving them. The art style is very cartoonish but bright and fun and I can see the details really being something that children like and enjoy pointing out.

The fact that the cars are driving by fun animals of all kinds will also be a fun aspect for kids to enjoy.

If you have a child who likes cars and enjoys brightly colored rhyming stories that can be fun over and over again then I definitely suggest this new release.

I received this book from netgalley.com and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Sam Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Rhymes, cars, bright bold pictures, funny animals. My son can not stop talking about this book. I love the cute rhyming story, with a bedtime.

We both agreed on a star rating this time. 5/5. CJ "really, REALLY, liked this book".

[Heather Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

megan spring reading 2016, children's book, picture book, cars, opposites, prek, kindergarten

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Big cars, small cars, let's call all cars! Beach cars, town cars, tops-go-down cars!" I'm writing this at my desk at work, and I think I could write the entire text into this box from memory. The boy and I have read this book approximately 5 bajillion times at this point. "Repeated reading is good for early literacy!" they said. I now have Who's Driving? and Calling All Cars memorized. I can describe the pages in detail. I can provide sound effects.

Enough bitterness over the repeated reading thing... Joe really does love this book. Every part of it. The cover is very slightly squashy, and he loves that. The pages are cardboard, and easy for him to grasp and turn, and he loves that. I provide excellent make-you-laugh-out-loud sound effects on the demolition derby page, and he loves that. He can say "dog" and there are dogs to point out on multiple pages, and he loves that. I also love that the book teaches descriptives, like "up," "down," "wide," and "long." I love that it ends with a "goodnight, sleepy cars" to lead us right into bed. I love that it rhymes. Overall, an excellent book! I look forward to the next dozen readings before we return it to the library.

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello, friends! Today’s review is Calling All Cars by Sue Fliess and Sarah Beise, a simple and colorful book of cars for little ones.

In rhyming text, the reader is introduced to a world of colorful cars, driven by a menagerie of colorful animal characters. Some cars are long, and some are wide. Some are old, some are new; some are big, and some are small. Some go fast, others go slow, some get stuck in traffic, and some even smash into each other for fun! There are all kinds of cars, but at the end of the day, all of them (even beloved toy cars) get tucked in for a good night’s sleep.

This one is a great basic-concept read for little bookworms, yet features some wonderfully energetic art that will make repeat readings lots of fun. The rhymes are simple, covering mostly opposites and various car- and road-related subjects. The illustrations are wonderful, packing in dozens of distinct species of animals in all manner of vehicles, which should make this a lot of fun to peruse for tiny car-lovers. The length is good, and JJ really enjoyed it, so we can definitely recommend this for any little ones who like animals, bright colors, and the things that go. Baby Bookworm approved!

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Terry]

I liked this book, and my vehicle-crazy 4-year-old loved this book as did his sister, who loved the detailed and bright illustrations.

[Danielle Robertson Robertson · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a noose coming out of a bush on the page with the king and queen. What's that about? It feels like there's something missing. I would have liked more types of cars/trucks/vehicles whereas this is just cars doing different things. My son loves all things cars but for him this book is meh.

[Alessandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought this a while ago from the SPCA thrift store & just got around to reading it. My little one loved it because he’s currently obsessed with cars, but halfway through lost interest. It’s a cute book though

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This will be a fun book for young car lovers!

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love dot
Kids did too
Well done

[Melinda Weprin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kiddo loved anything with vehicles

[Libby Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute book with colorful illustrations. A fun way to read opposites. Perfect for car loving toddlers.

Recommended for ages 1-4.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rhyming concept book showing lots of different cars, with fun colorful illustrations. Great for young toddler car lovers - and can double as a bedtime story too!

[Amy Sands · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved some of the other books by Fliess.
This one seem a little simplistic. Maybe if I was reading it to little ones, not what I was expecting.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

another book that my storytime boys LOVED

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute and simple picture book. Perfect for little car lovers.

My son recently turned 3 and was able to read along with us. He is just starting to read independently and this book was easy enough for him to figure out :) We have reread it quite a few times already!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an Adorable, Fun Book. I definitely will purchase this to give CJ along with his matchbox cars n case.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute picture book I found at Target tonight. Had to buy it for my nephew. Great mix of illustrations and rhyming.

[Emmaline MacBeath · Rating 4 out of 5]

SUMMARY: "Big cars, small cars, let's call all cars!" This book takes you down the road past many different kind of cars in many different types of situations until it is time for "sweet dreams, sleepy cars..."

ILLUSTRATIONS: The illustrations were created digitally. They are very bright, colorful, and adorable.

THE GOOD: This is a well written book about many different cars. Even if a child does not particularly love cars, he or she will enjoy watching the cars go by. There are some very creative car types such as "who's inside cars" for a car with darkened windows and "rainbow-bug cars" for a rainbow colored VW bug that is actually carrying bugs (this was my favorite of the bunch). The story winds down towards the end with a darkening sky to help little ones feel sleepy.
THE NOT AS GOOD: The illustrations are very busy for the youngest crowd of readers. I often found myself not knowing where to look on the page because I was visually overwhelmed. The layout was difficult to follow as well. For instance: when you turn to the first two page spread, the eye is directed automatically to the second page, instead of the first, due to the larger writing. I had to struggle to find the print among the busy first page. Also, often a car was described in the writing that was not there. Where it said, "Beach cars, town cars, tops-go-down cars," only two cars were illustrated. And the reverse was also true. There were often too many cars illustrated on a two page spread. "Old cars, new cars, starry-view cars" had four cars illustrated. The extra car was confusing since it did not fit into any of the three categories.
3 and 1/2 stars rounds up to 4

AGE RECOMMENDATION: Advertised for ages 3-7. I would say it is better for ages 4-7. This is a great book for new readers due to the simple text.

[Storywraps · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book evokes energy and busyness. All types of cars: small, big, wide, beach, limos, taxis, love bugs (just to name a few) are humming their way across the pages. A delightful twist is that animals are at the steering wheel driving along the roadways determined to get to their destinations.


Written in rhyme the words pull you into the action and whizz you happily along the freeways and country roads. The noisy cars beep, honk, change lanes and seem to never stop as they zoom, zip and take you on wild rides in many different directions.

The digital illustrations are amazing. They are colourful and vibrant and playfully invite the reader to climb aboard and journey together. Be sure to look for details that are embedded in the pictures, an added element which makes reading the book even more enjoyable for little ones.

After a hectic frenzied pace the author brings the momentum down to a more relaxed calm one making this book a perfect bedtime story. She helps you put on the brakes as the story comes to an end. Whew!!! Finally your little ones can curl up for a long, peaceful night's sleep...

"Rest cars, Hush cars
No more rush, cars.
Cars pull in, turn off the light.
Sweet dreams, sleepy cars...goodnight!"

Yes it's time to park it and say nite nite!

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the colorful charm of a Golden Book story and a catchy rhyming text reminiscent of Go, Dog, Go, Calling All Cars is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Anyone who loves cars and vehicles will have plenty to look at in these bright and energetic illustrations. Whether you prefer the lowrider with a driver in dark sunglasses or the slow car with a turtle at the wheel, there is something to suit every automotive taste. Look! There goes a car with three little pigs in it! But wait, isn't that a car with three bears inside? And check out the psychedelic colors on that clown car. From traffic jams to snow plows, convertibles to jalopies, things don't slow down until the very end. Finally, all the cars pull into their garage or parking space and settle down for the night, making this a perfect story even at bedtime.

Highly recommended for the preK-1st grade crowd, although it could become a favorite of some older readers who just love automobiles. This would be a great gift book for that child you know that just can't get enough cars and has worn out their DVD watching Mater and Lightning over and over. Even if your child is not car-crazy, they will still have fun working out the rhymes and looking at all the details included on every page.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

[Sven Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Calling All Cars (March 1, 2016)

Hippos, bears, dogs, bunnies and more drive along in CALLING ALL CARS. The pages are filled with fun rhymes and adorable pictures of driving animals going this way and that. This is a book that parents will love to read aloud to their children because getting into a rhythm is so easy. If there were ever a 6-year-old in the White House, Sue Fliess would no doubt be a poet laureate. She writes with a style and tempo that kids find so entertaining.

While not necessarily an educational book, CALLING ALL CARS can teach children about a variety of concepts including rhyming, opposites, different types of cars, and the inevitable need to get a tow truck when that car that was still trudging along finally calls it quits. Sarah Beise’s illustrations are the perfect complement to Fliess’ prose. The pages are full of vibrant color with busy scenes.

And for the nighttime reader, the good news is that the book ends with a “good night” send-off.

When I asked my five-year-old what she would tell someone who asked about the book, it was a resounded, “I would say, ‘IT’S GREAT.’” I agree--fun read.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received an advanced electronic review copy of this book from the publisher.

[Samantha Bilodeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is really cute! I love how much is going on, on every page and how colorful it is. And the illustrations are wonderful! My 3-year-old son LOVES cars, so I knew I needed to request this one on NetGalley as soon as I saw the cover (I received an ARC in exchanged for an honest, unbiased review). We've read it twice today and he really liked pointing out the animals driving the cars, what the cars and animals are doing, and which cars he thought were which.

I think that any parent becomes a bit of an expert on figuring out good childrens' books and not-so-good ones, and this one is excellent! The rhymes worked well, the art style was interesting and fun, and it has a lot of re-reading value, especially since your kid will notice something new each time you open it up.

I also wanted to be sure to note the cuteness of the last page with the boy cuddled up with the car. There are very few nights that my son doesn't bring at least one of his toy cars to bed with him, so he and I were both delighted at that page.

See more reviews here:

[Venus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted on Children's Atheneum

Big cars, small cars, let's call all cars! Whether they be zipping up cars or slow cars, this simple concept book goes from busy and vibrant to a quiet bedtime book by the end.

I am not entirely sure what I was expecting from this point, but I definitely got a lot more than I anticipated. It is busy and rush-houry with so many different kinds of cars and animals. Every page was full of life and energy, drawing me in. The poems were evenly paced and had the right rhythm, somehow capturing the feel of the different kind of cars on each page. This book would work as both a fun storytime read and a one-on-one bedtime story. I suspect parents may grow bored with this one rather quickly since kids are definitely going to want you to read this to them more than once.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute, rhyming book for pre- and beginning readers all about - you guessed it - cars. I've known many a child attached to his/her cars much like the child depicted in the last illustration in this book who would love this. The simple, rhyming words and brightly colored illustrations are quite appealing. I loved the assortment of different cars and all the different animals driving them - but I had one little pet peeve: that the cars were rarely driving in their lanes and many straddled the lane lines. I know that children will never notice that, and that when playing with their own cars they don't pay attention to those kinds of details, but as a driver, it's what I noticed :-P

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

All kinds of cars--some you've seen before, and some wildly imaginative--drive here and there along the road in a cheerful story that will be welcomed by all transportation fans. There are beaches and snow, traffic jams and the clear open road, overpasses and underpasses and bypasses galore. The rhyming lines are simple, but they scan smoothly with a pleasing rhythm. This confection is topped off with cartoon illustrations as bright as a new box of markers. It may not blaze new trails, but it's still a welcome addition to the "chockablock full of cars" shelf.

(Read as an ARC via NetGalley.)

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Colorful digital artwork calls all readers who love cars to pick up this book. In rhyming text, the book introduces readers to a wide variety of cars, big, small, fast, slow, old, new, cars whose drivers are intertwined, and even those painted all colors of the rainbow. All the cars are pelting along the highway, and they will remind readers of their own journeys to their eventual destinations at home. After all, eventually all of those cars have to stop for the night just as we do. Young readers will enjoy having this one read to them--multiple times--but also may feel encouraged by the simple text to try to read it for themselves.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This easy to read book about cars is reminiscent of the Dr. Seuss book, One fish, two fish. The illustrations are cute and illustrate the words well. The story is written in a rhyming form and depicts cars in various forms. My grandson loved the pictures and the words, he picked them up very quickly and was reciting them along with me. I would definitely recommend this book to parents of toddlers, especially those who love cars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.