Yay! It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday!
It’s been a few weeks, because of the Valentiny Contest, but we’re back and ready to go!
VROOM!!!
I think a lot of us are drawn to picture books because we have fond memories of having them read to us as children, and then reading them with our own kids, and with our students if we are teachers or librarians.
I went through a stage where I wasn’t teaching kids any more, and my own children had grown beyond picture books, but now – NOW! – I have the absolute delight of getting to share all the favorite books we accumulated over the years with my grandchildren! If you haven’t tried being a grandparent yet, I highly recommend it! 🥰
Not only do I get to share the favorite tried and trues, I get to discover and explore a whole new batch of books by incredibly talented authors and illustrators, (or, in the case of today’s book, author/illustrators). I can’t even tell you how much fun it is!
Today’s book is one I have read a minimum of 300 times in the last year and a half, give or take 😊 My granddaughter cannot get enough of it!
You probably think I’m exaggerating, but I assure you I am not!
You will understand when you see how amazing this book is in every way!
Title: Animals Go VROOM!
Written & Illustrated By: Abi Cushman
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers, August 24, 2021
Suitable For Ages: 2-5
Themes/Topics: animals, sounds, cause and effect, vehicles
text and illustration copyright Abi Cushman, 2021, Viking Books for Young Readers
Opening: “ROAR!! goes the. . . TRUCK that rumbles up the road.”
text and illustration copyright Abi Cushman, 2021, Viking Books for Young Readers
Brief Synopsis: [From the publisher] “Hiss! Screech! Roar! It’s a noisy day in Bumperville! But are the sounds what you think they are? That Honk! must surely be a goose. But turn the page and it’s the taxi that a goose is driving! Using cleverly placed die-cuts, this inventive book hints at what is making the sound, but with each turn of the page, it’s an eye-opening surprise and part of an unfolding story that is part guessing game and part giggle-inducing caper. Abi Cushman is the master of surprise and silliness in this absolutely delightful picture book.”
text and illustration copyright Abi Cushman, 2021, Viking Books for Young Readers
Links To Resources: spend time with your little reader looking through all the pictures and seeing how many different details and story lines you can find; how many pages have the snakes? the crows? the sloth? the otter? the hippo? the sea lion? How many pages show animals eating? Are they eating inside or outside? What are they eating? How many pages show animals on or in vehicles? How many different kinds of vehicles can you find? Do you know what each of them are used for? How many pages show the sea lion’s artwork, and what is he painting? Can you think of any other noises that a vehicle might make that an animal also makes?
text and illustration copyright Abi Cushman, 2021, Viking Books for Young Readers
Why I Like This Book: I don’t just like this book, I LOVE it! So many layers of fun! This book is a story about a truck from which a box of tacks spills out, causing a car to blow a tire and become stranded in the road, which causes a traffic jam behind it, until at last the car is towed away and everyone can move again. This book is a guessing game where, through the use of die cut windows, young readers have the opportunity to guess on each page turn who or what will be revealed. Because animal sounds and vehicle sounds are sometimes the same, the answers are a delightful surprise.
text and illustration copyright Abi Cushman, 2021, Viking Books for Young Readers
And, as if that weren’t enough, this book is a visual treat with multiple additional story lines in the art for young readers to discover, explore, think about, and question, and with so many clever details! For example, the title page shows a car salesmunk selling a yellow car to a pair of snakes, and also a crow parent giving their crow baby a toy pull-along yellow car that is exactly the same. Both yellow cars are featured throughout the book.
text and illustration copyright Abi Cushman, 2021, Viking Books for Young Readers
Other story lines are the crow family picnic, the sea lion artist, the slow-moving sloth, the unicycle-riding cupcake-carrying mouse, the lion-family pizza outing, the snooty otter with his gourmet food in the back of the taxi, the pond-bound hippo, and more! Everything about this book is FUN! I recommend reading it as soon as you can! 😊
I hope you enjoy it as much as Charlotte and I do 😊
For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific blog links (and any other info you feel like filling out 😊) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! 😊
Susanna Leonard Hill 
Sounds adorable! What a talent to be able to layer so many facets into one picture book!
I know! She is really amazing!
Every detail you’ve shared about this book has me anxious for my library to open so I can enjoy it, too. The peek-through die-cut windows were a favorite book feature of mine when I was a child.
It is so good, Leslie! I know I’m gushing, but I have read it enough times with my granddaughter to really appreciate how much fun it is. I feel like even though we’ve read it a million times, I still see new details every time I look at it!
How completely brilliant to get the animal and transportation noises in sync! This is a great read aloud with predictor opportunities. Well done!
I know! Wasn’t that a great idea, Robin? It’s one of those “wish I’d thought of that!” moments!
My grandkids would love this book! Thanks for sharing!
I feel confident in saying your grandkids will love it, Lori! Mine do! The baby isn’t quite old enough to appreciate all of the details yet, but he enjoys the pictures and the noises. The 2 year old loves everything about it!
I share your enthusiasm about being a grandma. I’ve my second grandson on the way! This is an adorable book. I think I’ll get it for my first grandson (2 1/2) to read to his new brother one day in the fall after he gets here. 🙂
Thanks for sharing this delightful book. (I looked at a Youtube Storytime where they read it.) I love it.
It is FABULOUS, Sonja! I feel confident that your grandson will love it. My granddaughter who is 2 3/4 at this point, has been loving it since she was 1, and she gets such a kick out of exploring all the extra storylines in the art! It’s really fun!
A perfect picture book in every way! I love Abi’s sense of fun and playfulness in her books!
Me too, Sue!
I love it when picture books use cutouts to foreshadow! This book looks so incredibly cute, thank you for sharing!
It’s fantastic, Andi! I say with confidence that you will LOVE it! The detail in the art is impressive!
I remember being delighted at each page turn while reading this fun book. It seemed like every time I reread it, I found something new in the artwork too.
Exactly, Danielle! It makes it so much fun to read – especially with a toddler/preschooler!
Awww thank you, Susanna!! That really means so much. Also I like your term “car salesmunk” hahahaha!
My pleasure, Abi! I’m not kidding – your books are much beloved in my house! 🙂 Thank you for your engaging stories and your truly fabulous art!!!
This book looks delightful!!! Thanks for sharing it!
I totally agree, being a grandparent is the best! We have one grandson who is way beyond pictures books now! (I have caught him looking through my bookshelves of PBs though! 😊)
Honestly, I don’t think we ever outgrow picture books, Susan! Although for sure kids go through a stage for a decade or so when they don’t want to ADMIT they still like them :))
I saw some of Abi’s drawings and pages on her blog as she was developing this book! It’s so much fun to see more of the finished book! thank you for reviewing it!
Mu pleasure, Kathy! I would like to see the way the drawings developed! I will have to take a more careful look at Abi’s blog!
I love this book, too, Susanna! Abi’s work is so distinctive.
It really is so wonderful, isn’t it Jilanne? I know Abi writes her own books, but I would LOVE to have her illustrate one of mine! 🙂
I love the squirrel salesperson. How adorable. I had a fifth grade student who wanted to own a car dealership. 😍Very clever and delightful.
Thank you for sharing!😍
It is always a pleasure to share a book I love as much as this one, Robin! And the chipmunk salesperson does manage to convey a certain cocky attitiude, even though his appearance is limited to one drawing on the title page! 🙂
Sounds delightful❤️
It IS delightful, Emmie 🙂
Ok, I MUST read this book! You’ve convinced me. I just put in a request for purchase at my library because somehow there are no copies in our 5 library system plus indies! Unacceptable I say!