CHOO CHOO CLICKETY-CLACK!

Each mode of transportation is great at something in this vibrant read-aloud. There are a number of books on the market dedicated to cars, but this takes you beyond trains and buses and adds, among others, the much less frequently included sailboats, motorcycles, bicycles and even, unexpectedly, cable cars. As the third in the trilogy of action vehicle books by Mayo and Ayliffe, what really gives this one finesse is its snappy text that abounds with verbs to savor, like soaring, chasing and splashing. It’s like having an exciting little thesaurus dedicated to words that connote motion. For instance, for hot-air balloons the words hover slightly over the lofty baskets, “High in the sky, riding, gliding. / Heating, filling, swelling, rising. / Whoooosh! Off they go!” It works well as a bedtime read also; the last spread is in deep purples as many vehicles begin resting in the darkness. Ayliffe has illustrated each spread with carefully detailed and crisply colored cut paper helping make this a splendidly zippy lap-time experience. (Picture book. 3-7)