I’ve been outvoted. While I liked Sebastien Chebret’s illustrations in Bobby’s got a brand-new car, I was less impressed by Zidrou’s story about a boy who decides he’s going to buy a car, a real car, pays for it with his “magic card,” and then drives his parents around after reminding his father to “Put your seat belt on!”
But while I wasn’t much impressed by the story by Zidrou, a native of Brussels who writes comics, books and songs for children, I was willing to seek insight from a panel of experts — three of my grandchildren and one of their friends.
While my panel of teens and near-teens said the book was aimed at children younger, they said they liked the story because it showed a child’s imagination. They also noted that I should like the story, too, because it showed a child who actually wanted to own a car, and a fast car at that.
Bobby certainly was not your content-with-Uber millennial willing to put off a driver’s license until sometime in his 20s.
One of my young readers said his favorite part involved the train stopping on the tracks so Bobby could drive his car through the railroad crossing.
As an author, I appreciate the way Zidrou set up Bobby’s next transportation adventure, though you’ll have to buy the book and read the last page to see what that might entail.
Reviewed
Bobby’s got a brand-new car
By Zidrou Illustrated by Sebastien Chebret
words & pictures (Quarto Group), 2016
ISBN: 978-1-91027-748-5
Hard cover, 24 pages
$17.95
