Cars Galore! By Peter Stein and Bob Staake (Walker Books)

This book was absolutely impossible to pass by on our recent trip to the library for two reasons. Number one: It's illustrated by the utter genius Bob Staake and Number two: it's absolutely filled to the brim with cars, cars, lots of cars! Cars Galore in fact!

Charlotte loved the book as much as I did, so we took it home and diving into the rhyming text and the sheer energy of the panels and illustrations, it's a real joy even if you're not really into automobiles in any way.

We meet tall cars, short cars, old cars, new cars. Cars seemingly driven by crazed crocodiles, cars that speed off into the distance with all cylinders firing while others cough and splutter along the road as slow as tortoises.

Bold colours, utterly brilliant car designs, crazy rhymes but above all the real sense that the book could sprout a set of wheels and whizz out from under you at any moment makes this nigh on essential. Since discovering Bob Staake's brilliant retro-style illustrations we've made it our duty to voraciously consume anything he's involved in, and Cars Galore does not disappoint. We couldn't wait to crack out our colouring pencils and felt tips and draw our own crazy cars zooming around. If you love books by Richard Scarry because of the crazy little vehicles whizzing around all over the place, this is seriously going to be your cup of tea.

Charlotte's best bit: The utterly superb "Jazz Car" - Smooth, baby!

Daddy's favourite bit: I rather liked the "Old Car" complete with cobweb-nosed driver!