Book Review: All Kinds Of Cars and Clap Clap!

Cars & Clap ClapGenerally I’m not a big fan of what I call “silly” kids books. You know the ones I mean – not much plot or meaningful content.  I prefer a children’s book to have a good narrative and a theme of some kind. However, I’ll happily make an exception for these two gems from Flying Eye.

Clap, Clap

As with the previous Flying Eye publications I’ve reviewed, the physical quality of this book is brilliant.  Beautiful texture and fantastic illustrations.  There is no story as such, each page depicts a sound or action, using lots of onomatopoeia.  These noise words – bong, ting etc – are great for encouraging speech and I think this would be a good book for younger toddlers; you could have a lot of fun making them laugh by reading the sounds.

clap clapAs with The Journey, the illustrations are bold, bright and have distinct European style.  The characters are really diverse and for some reason the drawings remind me of 80s and 90s video games in a really fun way.

Although not my usual cup of tea, this is certainly a unique and engaging book.

All Kinds Of Cars

Similarly, this wacky car encyclopedia for kids is very different from the norm.  I can safely say I’ve never before encountered a book quite like this!  Hard-backed, and beautiful quality, this large book is stuffed to the brim with illustrations of the most imaginative and creative modes of transport you can dream of.  From existing vehicles like an English bus and first aid motorbike to the truly bizarre guitar car and elephant ambulance, this collection instantly captures the imagination and is a great reminder to children and adults alike about the importance of fun and fantasy.

cars bookThere are plenty of fact-based vehicles here to teach our kids but the creative offerings will make you laugh out loud.  Who doesn’t want to watch a dog poo collecting motorbike?  There is a lot of humour here – the Mondrian car and homemade camper van are two of my personal favourites.

The illustrations are bright, simple and have a lovely retro-feel, plus – strange as some are – the cars are actually grouped together in a really logical way.

Good for a giggle and a great tool for developing your child’s whimsical side.

You can buy both books here.

11 comments on “Book Review: All Kinds Of Cars and Clap Clap!

  1. Like you, I prefer my children’s books (like the books I read) to have a good plot, but there is definitely space on a young child’s bookshelf for books like these. They’re great for increasing vocabulary, as well as having a laugh about dog poo 🙂
    Sarah MumofThree World recently posted…The Pokemon Go frenzyMy Profile

  2. I must say I wasn’t the biggest fan of Clap Clap but my daughter loves it. And seeing her enjoy it so much I’ve come to love it too. Cars has been less popular with her though – maybe she’s still a little young for it. Enjoyed reading your thoughts too! #readwithme
    BookBairn recently posted…Tickle My EarsMy Profile

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