Mr.
Gumpy's Motor Car
Story & Illustrations by John
Burningham
Review
by: Christina
Mark
Mr.
Gumpy decides to go for a ride. As he is pulling out of his
driveway, he is accosted by neighborhood children, a rabbit, a cat, a dog,
a pig, a sheep, some chickens, a calf, and a goat who all ask if they can
ride along. Mr. Gumpy graciously obliges and they all pile into the car.
It's a beautiful, sunny day and everyone enjoys the ride until . . .
uh-oh. . . it begins to rain! The old, dirt road that they are
riding on starts to get muddy. Mr. Gumpy suggests that some of his
passengers many need to get out and push as the car is starting to get
sluggish on the muddy road. When Mr. Gumpy calls for volunteers,
each passenger responds with "Not me" and an excuse as to why he
or she cannot push. Their excuses range from "I might catch
cold" to my personal favorite from the pig, "I've a bone in my
trotter" (though I have no idea what that means, it does sound like a
reasonable excuse). The dog even volunteers to drive to avoid having
to push. Finally, the car really gets stuck and EVERYONE has to get
out and push. So then
everyone "pushed and shoved and heaved and strained and gasped and
slipped and slithered and squelched" until . . . uh-uh. . . you'll
have to read the book to find out what happens next!
This book somehow manages to combine simple language
understandable to the very young with a great adventure story fun for
everyone. The illustrations are wonderfully comical. The book also
teaches a great lesson about teamwork. Children enjoy chiming in with
"Not me" as each passenger initially refuses to push. Both the
pictures and the story will keep children entertained. And parents aren't
going to mind reading this pleasantly amusing story over and over and over
again as this is sure to become a family favorite.
I recommend this book for even the youngest listener
who may not normally sit through a story. This story is good for ages 1
1/2 to 6 years.
Buy
Now
