4.48

5

Nov 09, 2007

An entomological deconstruction of America's obsession with speed and motion. Poses the highway as a cite of disordered exchange and anxiety. The motorist is both weeping and laughing knowing disaster is inevitable. Trucks become pickles. Pickles become trucks. Hellish.

5

Feb 21, 2015

I don't generally put children's books on Goodreads.

This is an exception because I have three boys, each eight years apart, and I have probably read this books a few hundred times, including at least once a day for the last few weeks.

It is amazing and awful at the same time. It takes forever to read because it is so involved and detailed, in addition to being 70 or so pages long. We have gone through a few copies, and my husband now refuses to read it because he says he would never bring it I don't generally put children's books on Goodreads.

This is an exception because I have three boys, each eight years apart, and I have probably read this books a few hundred times, including at least once a day for the last few weeks.

It is amazing and awful at the same time. It takes forever to read because it is so involved and detailed, in addition to being 70 or so pages long. We have gone through a few copies, and my husband now refuses to read it because he says he would never bring it into the house again. But, I had to. They just love it so much.

My favorite thing regarding this book, though, is when my 19yo son reads it to my 3yo -- because once a day from me is not nearly enough of Ma and Pa and Pickles and Penny Pig and all the other things that go.

Sweet revenge.

...more

5

May 12, 2015

Read this to both kids approximately 18 million times, looking for Goldbug on every page.

Mistress Mouse and her minuscule tow truck are the unsung heroes of intricate Busytown traffic.

5

Sep 24, 2009

There is no better book to read with a child than this. Lay down on your tummies and flip through the pages, looking for Goldbug and enjoying the trip along with the Pig family. It's fun to point out different things going on on the wildly busy pages! Thank heaven for Richard Scarry!

5

Aug 03, 2017

We are always looking for Goldbug, but what is Goldbug looking for?

5

Aug 03, 2015

I remembered this one from childhood, and my kid also loves it. Lots to look at and talk about on each page. And of course finding Goldbug is fun!

5

Aug 28, 2013

I spent hours reading this to my kids. In case you didn't know, gold bug is on every busy page. A wonderful book to read to a curious toddler to pre-schooler.

5

Aug 04, 2011

My five year old can find Gold Bug better than me, and I am assuming it is due to some sort of childhood golden innocence, and that when she gets jaded and has a few dreams crushed, the little guy will get harder and harder to see until he finally disappears on the page.

Nothing Gold Can Stay(?) I will do my best to help the golden critter of wonder stay in both of our lives.

2

May 02, 2009

This book is a delight, surprising in its level of real humor. The ambience created by the diverse cars on the highway and the scenes that they pass is something special, and I find that this Richard Scarry book holds up very nicely over time. My family and I have been determinedly searching for Goldbug in these pages from as far back as I can remember. This book is inextricably tied to a lot of good memories for me, but it stands up quite well independent of those memories, too.

5

Jul 26, 2014

This is our breakfast companion book, known to my son as 'huge book'. It is a 'huge' book, filled with many illustrations of Scarry's imagined (and some real) trucks, planes, trains, and vehicles of all kinds. He loves having me read the story, looking for the hidden 'Goldbug' in each page spread, and coming up with his own names for the vehicles. Lots to look at, like most of Scarry's books, so we spend a lot of time with it. This was originally a library pick, that got renewed a few times, This is our breakfast companion book, known to my son as 'huge book'. It is a 'huge' book, filled with many illustrations of Scarry's imagined (and some real) trucks, planes, trains, and vehicles of all kinds. He loves having me read the story, looking for the hidden 'Goldbug' in each page spread, and coming up with his own names for the vehicles. Lots to look at, like most of Scarry's books, so we spend a lot of time with it. This was originally a library pick, that got renewed a few times, then finally purchased! ...more

5

Nov 16, 2010

This was one of the books my parents read to me and my brother when we were very young. It is interesting to see how non-linear this book is. The story is very loose, and the pages are very busy. I had a lot of fun finding Goldbug on each page. Probably the strangest thing for me was opening the book and getting a whiff of the way it smelled. It smelled the same as it did over 25 years ago. It was a surreal experience. I was looking for nostalgia and found it with this book. Good stuff.

5

Aug 02, 2011

This is currently my 2-year-old son's favorite book, so I'm reading it every day. Figured I'd better mark it down here. I know he is following in good footsteps since it was also one of my favorites at his age. Goldbug is on every page and he can find him immediately. I'm very proud.
Here are some highlights:
"bug!" - any bug, not just Goldbug.
"uh-oh!" - a car is on its side, or upside down.
"oh no!" - there is a big accident.
"that car" - whatever car Goldbug is in.
"truck!" - there are a lot of This is currently my 2-year-old son's favorite book, so I'm reading it every day. Figured I'd better mark it down here. I know he is following in good footsteps since it was also one of my favorites at his age. Goldbug is on every page and he can find him immediately. I'm very proud.
Here are some highlights:
"bug!" - any bug, not just Goldbug.
"uh-oh!" - a car is on its side, or upside down.
"oh no!" - there is a big accident.
"that car" - whatever car Goldbug is in.
"truck!" - there are a lot of trucks. Spoiler alert!
"teeth!" - one of the cars looks like a toothbrush.
"draw car!" - one of the cars looks like a crayon.
"pig", "dog", "cat" - common sightings.

In conclusion, this is a wonderful book to read to your own toddler. Enjoy! But don't blame me if you read it A LOT. ...more

5

Jul 01, 2017

Haven't read the book we just flipped through it naming most of the cars. There is just so much in this book, we'll have to revisit it a couple times before we can finish the whole thing. :)

4

Mar 12, 2017

I read this to my son almost every night. He loves finding goldbug on every page.

5

Jan 05, 2019

This is the coolest classic storybook!! So many things are happening on each page, it truly encourages a dialogue with your little person and a keen eye to seek out that silly Goldbug hiding on each page. It took us three sittings to finish this book, but it was worth it to see if Officer Flossy ever caught up to that rascally Dingo Dog!

4

Aug 31, 2018

I keep wanting to buy books as presents for toddlers I know, but then when I get to the bookstore, I draw a blank on which books have really been a hit with Leo and me. So I'm going to put a few books on a shelf here to remind myself, for when I need to buy books for kids.

I remember reading Richard Scarry to a child I babysat for in high school, but I still let this book sit on our shelf for a while unread. We discovered it a few weeks ago, and we're kind of blown away by it (well, I am.) There I keep wanting to buy books as presents for toddlers I know, but then when I get to the bookstore, I draw a blank on which books have really been a hit with Leo and me. So I'm going to put a few books on a shelf here to remind myself, for when I need to buy books for kids.

I remember reading Richard Scarry to a child I babysat for in high school, but I still let this book sit on our shelf for a while unread. We discovered it a few weeks ago, and we're kind of blown away by it (well, I am.) There is just so much to discover in this book, and so many Easter eggs to find. I also feel like it's really right-brained. You can read it however you want to. Just lounge around on one page for ten minutes and then hit some other random page. We've worked on it for several weeks and I think I've only gotten to the last page once. Anyway, I just find this book so charming. Leo spent a week obsessed with how, on the second page, Dingo Dog runs over the parking meters. First he had to understand what it was all about. What are parking meters? Why does Officer Flossie have a bicycle? etc. Then, he just thought it was hysterically funny that Dingo Dog was RUNNING OVER PARKING METERS! Dingo Dog! We don't run over parking meters!! We put money in parking meters!

I haven't tried any other Richard Scarry books yet, so can't compare. I do think I'd especially go out of my way to buy this for a child with a particularly visual or right-brained parent. for ages 2,3&4. ...more

5

Sep 07, 2019

Like many other children, my son is OBSESSED with vehicles. Wheels. Cars. Tyres. Trucks. Trains. Diggers... you get the idea. With that comes a propensity towards a certain type of book: non-fiction, diagrammatical, straightforward, terminology-based. Which is great, because that’s what he’s into. I try to jazz up these reads with ad-libbed extra factoids and fun traffic noises. But after the tenth or eleventh such book on its twentieth or thirtieth reading, I am done. Reading labelled engine Like many other children, my son is OBSESSED with vehicles. Wheels. Cars. Tyres. Trucks. Trains. Diggers... you get the idea. With that comes a propensity towards a certain type of book: non-fiction, diagrammatical, straightforward, terminology-based. Which is great, because that’s what he’s into. I try to jazz up these reads with ad-libbed extra factoids and fun traffic noises. But after the tenth or eleventh such book on its twentieth or thirtieth reading, I am done. Reading labelled engine parts does get a little dry after a while. If only there were another way... cue Richard Scarry. Who I can’t thank enough for his refreshing take on the genre.

Combining information, mockumentary, eye spy and story in equal measure, Cars and Trucks and Things that Go is the solution to boring-vehicle-book fatigue. The busy pages are crammed full of labelled illustrations of every mode of transport you could imagine (and loads of new vocabulary to learn, even for young vehicle experts!) These are accompanied by two main stories: one of a (pig) family on a journey to a picnic, and another of a (cat) police officer chasing a terrible (dog) driver. Many exciting subplots ensue along the way, including a detour through the airport and a car on fire.

The language used addresses the child head-on and involves them in the action: “Look!”, “Now what?”, “Oh no!” On every page are questions and puzzles that encourage close observation of the details. The humour is just fantastic. I enjoy the surreal pies, melons and pickles that I recognise from Scarry’s other books. My son prefers the doughnut car and “Auntie Pastry”, which have both resulted in much hilarity.

Props to Scarry for including some female characters, and not just prissy ones. The badass police officer, the mechanic who repairs trucks, the driver of a sports car. Ma puts the snow chains on and Grandma owns a farm and operates a tractor. This representation is so important. Richard Scarry was ahead of his time, and again, I’m grateful for that.

My son adores this book, is invested in the story and is engaged in learning more about his favourite subject. Most importantly, he finds it a lot of fun (and less importantly, so do I!) Scarry has not put a foot wrong here, and both myself and my son would highly recommend. ...more

4

Jul 24, 2018

My kids have actually been interested in the classic Richard Scarry books for years. There is so much to look at! There are always a lot of vehicles and animals and there a lot of physical humor.

Because my son Harry is now reading, his interest in Cars and Trucks and Things That Go has increased. Sight words and short sentences are well-aided by simply drawn illustrations set against a plain white background.

Kids familiar with Busytown will feel right at home in this exploration of the trucks My kids have actually been interested in the classic Richard Scarry books for years. There is so much to look at! There are always a lot of vehicles and animals and there a lot of physical humor.

Because my son Harry is now reading, his interest in Cars and Trucks and Things That Go has increased. Sight words and short sentences are well-aided by simply drawn illustrations set against a plain white background.

Kids familiar with Busytown will feel right at home in this exploration of the trucks and cars. We follow the story of Ma, Pa, Pickles, and Penny Pig as they set out for a picnic. The plot is thin and not really the point, but my son enjoys seeing what the Pig family is getting up to with each page turn.

Like other Richard Scarry titles, Cars and Trucks and Things that Go has been updated over the years to be less sexist. So even though this book was originally published in 1951, you can still hand it to your kids without too much concern.

---
I review books for children from the perspective of a parent of kids with autism. The review above is part of a longer post on books for kids who really love trucks: https://www.lineupthebooks.com/20-boo... ...more

4

Feb 05, 2019

I used to love Richard Scarry books as a child. This was so long ago, I don't remember the stories or which books I read, but seeing those pictures for the first time in decades brought on a huge wave of familiarity.

That rush of not-quite-remembering is now years in the past. I've read this to my kids many, many times, and memories of their reaction to it have mostly replaced my first-hand experiences.

And they love it, too. Cars and Trucks, more than some of the other books, is great, because I used to love Richard Scarry books as a child. This was so long ago, I don't remember the stories or which books I read, but seeing those pictures for the first time in decades brought on a huge wave of familiarity.

That rush of not-quite-remembering is now years in the past. I've read this to my kids many, many times, and memories of their reaction to it have mostly replaced my first-hand experiences.

And they love it, too. Cars and Trucks, more than some of the other books, is great, because there's a bit of a story and it's fun to look for Goldbug and Mistress Mouse and Officer Flossy and Dingo Dog. The pictures aren't that great, but they really are. So many of the depictions of technology and societal assumptions are dated. It's weird the way detailed descriptions of how things work appear side-by-side ridiculous ideas like carrot cars. Somehow, all these things make the books better.

my favorite quote: "So Mrs. Rabbit shouts as loud as she can, so loud that all the truck drivers think that she is shouting at them." ...more

5

Dec 13, 2017

Oh My God! I stumbled upon this book on the internet today and all the memory came flooding back. This was my absolute favorite book to read when I was a child. As a picture book, this was absolutely delightful. There's just so many little details, secrets, and easter eggs packed in a 70-page picture book that I absolutely adored. I used to read it together with my brother over and over again while trying to find the golden bug. We also used to play make believe that we're actually going Oh My God! I stumbled upon this book on the internet today and all the memory came flooding back. This was my absolute favorite book to read when I was a child. As a picture book, this was absolutely delightful. There's just so many little details, secrets, and easter eggs packed in a 70-page picture book that I absolutely adored. I used to read it together with my brother over and over again while trying to find the golden bug. We also used to play make believe that we're actually going somewhere with the Pig family. The illustrations are absolutely unique, both delightful and creepy.

I wish I still have this copy to share with my future children but alas, I think I lost the book a long time ago. Any of you already with children of your very own, I URGE YOU TO PICK UP A COPY OF THIS BOOK. I will most definitely be tracking down a copy once I have a child of my own. ...more

5

Jun 26, 2018

Hi everyone! I'm working for a Russian website dedicated to children's books and children's reading. We've been building the English version of the website and recently published an article on Cars, Trucks and Things That Go. The author talks about how he uses a book to read to his kids with a two-year age difference. Here's the link if you want to check it out: http://www.papmambook.ru/articles/3182/
And if you click on "Papmambook in English" above the article, you can see the rest of the site Hi everyone! I'm working for a Russian website dedicated to children's books and children's reading. We've been building the English version of the website and recently published an article on Cars, Trucks and Things That Go. The author talks about how he uses a book to read to his kids with a two-year age difference. Here's the link if you want to check it out: http://www.papmambook.ru/articles/3182/
And if you click on "Papmambook in English" above the article, you can see the rest of the site in English. (less) ...more

4

Sep 15, 2018

Getting a present for my smol housemate's birthday, and this instantly came to mind...doesn't disappoint on re-reading. Full of exuberant, detailed drawings labelling everything from realistically rendered machinery to full-on fantasy in the form of pickle trucks and corn cars. The humour is fabulous, the dramatic changes of scene on every turn of the page are endlessly creative, and I love the continuity and drama provided by Officer Flossy, Mistress Mouse, the pig family, and Goldbug.

We'll Getting a present for my smol housemate's birthday, and this instantly came to mind...doesn't disappoint on re-reading. Full of exuberant, detailed drawings labelling everything from realistically rendered machinery to full-on fantasy in the form of pickle trucks and corn cars. The humour is fabulous, the dramatic changes of scene on every turn of the page are endlessly creative, and I love the continuity and drama provided by Officer Flossy, Mistress Mouse, the pig family, and Goldbug.

We'll see how much I love it if my smol housemate ends up liking it as much as me... ...more

3

Mar 25, 2019

Despite having heard the author's name many times, this may have been the first time I actually looked into one of his books. While it was amusing at moments, there was so much going on and the story seemed so disjointed and even pointless that I wondered what the point of the book was. To look for details and continuity in the pictures...? I have to wonder what it teaches children about storytelling, honestly.

5

Aug 17, 2017

Personally, I'm not overawed with this book, but my 2 1/2 year old is absolutely obsessed with it! And who's to argue with a toddler?
There are a gazillion creative illustrations, with equally whacky snippets to go with them. This makes for hours (yes, I said hours) of 'reading', observing new nuances every time you see a page. As for me, I'd rate anything that enamors a toddler for more than 5 minutes a solid 5 stars!

5

Oct 28, 2019

As the parent I really want to give this book two stars. I've had to read it multiple times a day the last week. It's a LONG children's book. Depending on how many vehicles my 3 year old wants me to name. We also have to search for Goldbug on every page. And the actual story is ridiculous. But seeing how excited my son gets every time is worth it. And from reading the reviews here, he's not alone. A great children's book that caregivers will love to hate.