What a simply splendid introduction to the life of a car! The pictures are bursting with colour and will encourage children to talk about their own experiences. An information story as interesting as lively as this will reinforce in young minds the message that print books can be exciting and relevant. Books for Keeps My four year old nephew loves this book because of the subject matter, the boldness of the text, the powerful bright colours, and the hunt for Susan's red mini from her first book ON THE ROAD in the illustrations! However, this is more than a book for would be Jeremy Clarksons! In addition to the cars and the trucks, the collage is effective at giving enough clues about the pedestrains for us to speculate about personalities and backgrounds. I recommend it for Early Years as it is attractive and full of interest. English 4-11

Having initially trained as a graphic designer, Susan Steggall became a primary school teacher and taught young children for several years. After having her own two boys, she began work in a school library where she enjoyed finding out about new authors and illustrators and selecting beautiful new books for the shelves. As her boys grew up, she started making all sorts of pictures for them of the cars, trucks and trains they found so fascinating. After lots of experiments, the idea of using torn coloured and textured paper evolved. Susan lives in the New Forest in Hampshire. She makes the collages for her picture books in a wooden workshop in the garden, listening to her favourite music and drinking extraordinary amounts of tea. To visit Susan Steggall's website, click here