BING! BANG! CHUGGA! BEEP!

In this previously unpublished work from the late Martin and co-author Sampson, the travels of an antique car are enumerated in rollicking rhymes.

This tale is best enjoyed when read or sung to the rhythm of “This Old Man.” Each verse spans a double-page spread that depicts the automobile in a different setting, from climbing a hill and jumping over bricks to flying through the sky and revving up on the racetrack. The sounds are smooth and endearing, e.g., “This old car, / it’s my buddy, / even when it’s wet and muddy / With a bing, bang, / chugga, beep, / Bouncing here and there / This old car goes everywhere.” In a fun twist, readers finally see a mother call out to her child: “Charlie, it’s time to come in for your bath.” Then we see a hand on the car—turns out it’s a child’s toy. The vehicle gets spiffed up in the tub before resting beside its driver—ready to transport the child to dreamland. On most spreads, each word of the titular refrain is printed in a different color—a clear prompt for kids to join in the telling. Beauvois’ watercolor collages, rendered in a cheerful palette, channel Eric Carle. Young children will love everything about this book and will soon be “reading” it to anyone who will listen. Mother and Charlie are tan-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Playful, high-octane fun.