THE CAR WASHING STREET
by Denise Lewis Patrick & illustrated by John Ward
On a summer day, Matthew enjoys a familiar happening: Though his family doesn't own a car, he and Daddy—on a tidy street of brownstones with generous stoops—watch their neighbors wash theirs. As the day heats up, Daddy talks of going in, but just then a dropped hose, wetting somebody's hat, starts a friendly water fight, with kids joining the grownups and a hydrant opened to make sure everyone gets really wet. A simple story, celebrating the joys of a special kind of good fun; Ward captures the good humor in admirable style, in open, realistic paintings that depict these African-Americans and their Latino neighbors as vibrant, friendly, and full of purpose. (Picture book. 4-8)