CBR15 BINGO (Nostalgia square: Read this to my kid a billion times.)
Okay. This is going to be more about me than the book, but that’s nostalgia for you. We moved my son to college a few weeks ago. He’s our only kiddo. I’m an official empty nester now so I’m nostalgia-ing all over the place. He loved a lot of the Scarry books but this was his favorite. A superfan of all things vehicle-related, there was never a construction site or road re-surfacing that he permitted us to just pass by. We had discussions. Lengthy discussions with every garbage man, fireman, or bus driver. From ages 2-4, I don’t think he left the house without some kind of toy car or truck clutched in his hand. So this book was basically his manual for life.
This sweet little book is about exactly what it says it is: Cars and Trucks and Things That Go. It describes the Pickles’ family day trip to the beach for a picnic and then back home. They encounter traffic, road construction, and on and off-road mishaps, to finally make it to their destination.
The detail in this book is fantastic. You could read it 100 times (and I have) and still see something you never saw before. From real-life vehicles to silly things like the pickle mobile, Scarry created an illustrated world where youngsters could learn and use their imagination. From finding where sneaky Goldbug was hiding on every page to sympathizing with poor Officer Flossy’s attempt to stop Dingo from violating every traffic law, you are invested. It was always fun to read this book to my son, and I can’t say that about all of his pre-reading-age books. It’s a classic and one of my go-to’s when getting a gift for someone who has just had a baby.
