On the Road

Children's Literature

Steggall's illustrations of a traveling family are the focal point of this twenty-four-page book. It is filled with bright colors, crudely painted but very appealing to children. This hardback book is large and easy for children to hold. Each page is filled with pictures of big, bright objects for a young child to explore. The child will learn simple prepositions as he follows one family through town, around corners, up and down hills, into the tunnel, and over fields, ending the family's journey at the edge of the sea. Animals, such as dogs, cattle, and sheep appear randomly, enticing the child to discover the delights on each page. Trucks and cars dominate the big pages, accompanied by other vehicles such as helicopters, dump trucks, cement mixers, boats, and motorcycles. License plates on the vehicles give the child a chance to learn letters and numbers. Even the people illustrated in the book are multi-cultural, giving a real dimension to this simple, easy-to-read book for toddlers and pre-schoolers. 2005, Kane/Miller Book Publishers, Ages 6 mo. to 3.
—Debbie West

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1-Vehicles and more vehicles are what readers see as they follow a British family driving in city traffic, through the roadworks, past grazing cows, and finally to the sea. Along the way, they are introduced to a plethora of prepositions (e.g., up, down, around, into, under, across). The vibrant collage artwork is bursting with color: bold hues in the bustling city, serene shades and textures in the country, and the soothing colors of the seaside. Observant youngsters will notice that the steering wheels are on the right side of the cars instead of the left and that the license plates look different. Large type and few words per page encourage youngsters to explore and pore over the details. Children will be engaged whether being read to, or tackling this offering on their own.-Wanda Meyers-Hines, Ridgecrest Elementary School, Huntsville, AL Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

In this vehicle-rich road trip, the burgeoning travel and automobile enthusiast will like what he sees: a road crowded with cars, vans, semi-trucks, dump trucks, emergency vehicles, motorcycles, cement mixers, and various and sundry roadwork machinery. All of these vehicles come complete with roadway accessories such as traffic lights, bridges, and tunnels. It quickly becomes clear that the little red car has a destination: "Off we go along the road." Its journey takes it around the city and countryside, heading up hills, around corners, and over fields before reaching its final, sandy destination. Young readers probably won't be bothered by the fact that this is obviously British, but it is worth noting the differences like license-plate lettering and driving on the other side of the road. The straightforward and spare text won't challenge young readers, but it does offer a little lesson in prepositions. Extra zoom comes through the vividly colored, torn-paper illustrations that fill the oversized pages and almost crunch with texture. (Picture book. 2-4)