Built Car Chris Van Dusen Reviews Summary

Story and Writing

Pros:

• "The story is very cleverly written, and the illustrations persuaded many comments and questions from the 5-6 year old audience."
• "This is honestly the most creative, inventive and cool children's book I have ever read."
• "The language in this is just superb and as a parent, it’s one I don’t mind reading over and over again!"
• "Very well written, great story."
• "The writing engages children with a 'what if?' Or a 'why not?' hook that unlocks participation."
• "The story is just full of imagination and it’s an easy one for me to have to re-read."
• "The story line was imaginative, well developed, and expertly written in a fun rhyme."

Cons:

• "However, I was hoping there was some technical/mechanical 'stuff' in it to explain cars to my son since I don't have that knowledge."
• "This book was way to hard for a kindergarten kid to read and way too boring."
• "Overall I think there are so many better kids books these days, this one is outdated."
• "The kid is drawn a bit creepy though."
• "Why are there drawings of people smoking in a children's book?"
• "I regret buying this book and no longer read it to my child."
• "The text is printed sideways on the pages. Two of the pages were uncut."

Illustrations

Pros:

• "The illustrations were wonderful."
• "The illustrations are wonderful and filled with nostalgia from the fifties."
• "The artwork is totally cool! Captures that 50's look to a tee."
• "Love the bright colorful illustrations and how unique the story line is."
• "The illustrations are awesome and fun plus the story is great."
• "The illustrations in all of his books are amazingly fun, expressive, and colorful."
• "The illustrations are very captivating and better than that of most books (especially for a young kid)."

Cons:

• "The book did come curled up in a box big enough to lay flat so took over a month to lay flat again."
• "Not sure if while printing the ink was still wet when they put it together but every page is warped like it got wet."
• "Pages hard and stuck together at the corners. Very damaged, had to use a knife to cut them apart."
• "Large pink/orange stain.I ordered several books that came together in a box. This was the only one that arrived damaged."
• "The book was supposed to be a gift and now looks messed up and I don't have enough time to reorder."
• "I did not initially like this book visually. Not the kind of artwork I appreciate."
• "I returned the book because there's a picture of an invention of a snack bar in this car with burgers, hotdogs, fries, etc presented in a positive way."

Engagement and Creativity

Pros:

• "It's one of my 5 year old son's favorite bedtime books."
• "Kids need more of these type of books that encourage them to be creative and enjoy the car hobby!"
• "This super book encourages imagination."
• "A great story to encourage imagination and creativity (all written in rhyme!)"
• "Great books for imaginative kids!"
• "It opens the door for his imagination as he thinks about what he would do if he built a car."
• "The story and imagination in this book are great."

Cons:

• "It's okay, but not quite as fun."
• "There is an odd feel when the kid says his dad's car isn't up to his imaginative ideas: the dad's reaction is presented as deadpan and .... what? ... almost a little defensive?"
• "There is an odd feel when the kid says his dad's car isn't up to his imaginative ideas."
• "This is the kind of book that makes kids think creativity is awesome and fun."
• "It spurs fun conversations about what our kids would include if they dreamed up a car."
• "The great illustrations caught the attention of these young kids."
• "The book captures the imagination of a child so perfectly and cleverly."