Christmas With Auntie

Series Review: Gr 3-5–With its slick images, bright color scheme, and straightforward text, this series should appeal to future car lovers. Presenting information clearly and concisely, each book is filled with descriptive passages that note each subject’s history, parts, and future. Facts, such as cost, fastest speed, and miles per gallon, present the audience with finer details that are relevant and, at times, jaw-dropping. For example, a Formula 1 engine can cost more than $7 million. Supplementing informational text such as this are sidebars, time lines, and charts that lend visual interest and bite-sized facts, while the use of blues, oranges, and yellows throughout give each volume a comic book vibe. What really stands out are the vibrant photos of the various cars and motorcycles. Close-up looks at shiny chrome and glossy paint jobs are a visual feast and will have intermediate readers oohing and aahing from one page to the next. VERDICT Recommended for first purchase, especially in libraries where books about transportation vehicles are always checked out.