The Smash-Up Crash-Up Derby

The Smash-Up Crash-Up Derby

From BooklistAges 5-7. A boy, his mom, his aunt Marie, and his Uncle Jake all know what they love best about the fair in September: the Demolition Derby. Seymour explains the derby's basic rule ("the last car running wins") and includes many a"whack," "whump," and "thump" in his bouncy verses. Even though many youngsters won't have seen such events (short of bumper cars or certain urban driving), they'll still catch the excitement radiating from Schindler's pictures, which give each of the five participating cars a rakish identity. When the driver of the winning car proves to be the boy's father, we know why the family cared so much, but Seymour and Schindler have made the event seem exciting on its own. Mary Harris VeederWhile visiting the fair, a child describes the most exciting event -- the demolition derby and its surprise winner.From Publishers WeeklyA boy, his mother, and his aunt and uncle witness the excitement of the Demolition Derby at the county fair. Seymour (who previously teamed up with Schindler for I Love My Buzzard) delivers present-tense, action-packed narration, simulating the frenzy as the four root for the driver of a yellow station wagon, who turns out to be the boy's father. The author punctuates his rhythmic-and occasionally rhyming-text with an onomatopoetic cacophony: "The fun about the derby/ is the WHACK and SCREECH and/ WHUMP and HISS and/ THUMP and POP and/ BANG!" Schindler's slightly loopy artwork expands upon the energy of the story and injects extra humor. Turning headlights and grill work into eyes and teeth, he invests the automobiles with individual personalities-in one memorable scene, he renders them as dinosaurs. Similarly, the derby audience exhibits a wacky retro stylishness, sporting a variety of beehive hairdos, handlebar mustaches, mod sunglasses and brightly patterned shirts and dresses. Car-noise connoisseurs will rev up for this one. Ages 4-7.Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.From School Library JournalPreSchool-Grade 2?In this lively picture book, a boy and his family go to the fair and have a great time at the demolition derby. In strongly rhythmic, sometimes rhyming verse, Seymour describes the thrills as the derby begins: "They start the cars, the green flags wave, they're off!/I clap, Aunt shouts, Mom squeals!/With the excitement of it all." They root for one particular vehicle: "Now we see the station wagon and/We all stand up and cheer! Except for Uncle Jake,/Who cannot bear to look, or hear." Finally, the winning driver steps out...and it's Dad! In the end, they all walk away happily with a trophy and a mangled bumper as souvenirs. Schindler's gouache illustrations capture the action and bring the atmosphere of the fair to life. At one point, the young narrator imagines the competitors as dinosaurs and a clever spread depicts the dino-cars battling it out. The people are mildly eccentric, and all of them seem to be having a lot of fun. A slam-bang treat.?Steven Engelfried, West Linn Library, ORCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.