Honk! Splat! Vroom!, illustrated and written by Barry Gott

Title: Honk! Splat! Vroom!
By: Gott, Barry
Published: 2018
Call #: JPicture Gott.B

A bunch of mice in colorful race cars try to outmaneuver each other in this fast-paced, near-wordless, action-packed romp for the young fans of all things cars. Right at the starting line young readers know they will be in for a turbulent contest when a mouse in a blue car sneezes just as the race starts. “Go!” yells a mouse with a green flag, “Ah-choo!” sneezes the mouse, and “VROOM!” go the cars leaving the sneezy mouse in the dust. Will this competitor ever catch up? Using vibrant digital illustrations, artist Barry Gott deftly captures the chaos and movement of the zooming vehicles, and does a great job with the animals’ various expressions (I love their determined faces as they take wild wide turns). A great slapstick moment occurs early on when the mouse in the blue car bounces on the helmets of the other four, now trapped in mud. The little critter giggles at them but then ends up misjudging a jump and ends up stranded in a stream, watching the now freed mice flying through the air over its head with “ha ha”s and honk honks” filling the air. Sudden appearances from a goose and a cat add even more tension and plot twists. Young readers will love how the mouse in the blue car learns that friendship and helping others is more rewarding then winning a trophy. And yet the goofy surprising final image makes sure things never become too saccharine. A giddy delight.

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