William Bee's illustrations just blow us both away. Sharp, brilliantly referenced (as you'll see within the body of this review) but above all inviting us into the world of a fellah who really loves and knows his subject.
We love William's other books, particularly his Migloo series - but we always look out for the vehicles he squeezes in to each story.
So having a book that focuses entirely on a fabulous collection of a particular type of vehicle is an absolute win for both of us. Charlotte loves cars and trucks (in fact I'm pretty sure she'd have a huge collection of them if she was allowed, but alas my wife draws the line at filling the house with 'em) and I always loved them as a kid - possessing an unspeakably large collection of matchbox cars and vehicles (and quite a few Corgi and Hot Wheels cars too).
I sort of imagine that's how William got started out, and in this book he's celebrating the work horse of the vehicle world, the truck.
 |
| William's amazing garage plays host to his huge collection of trucks and cars. Wouldn't you love a garage like this? |
 |
| Probably our favourite panel, the brilliant snack truck. We'll have a Double Slug and Cheese ta! (Love this one, looks a bit like an old Bedford Truck with the teapot spout headlights) |
The illustrations just draw you in. So many tiny little details and tons of humour (the snack van is hilarious!)
 |
| A big builder's haulage truck. Looks very much like an early Foden, this one. |
There's even a super-powerful racing truck with a jet engine, that can fly along the track at 370 MPH! Yikes! Certainly faster than most things on the road.
We both loved this book a lot, me for the sheer nostalgia of remembering how obsessive about vehicles I was (and still am). Charlotte because she's a chip off the old block, and I could see her being a serious petrol-head when she's older.
Utterly fab, and a worthy book of the week
Charlotte's favourite truck: The superfast jet-powered truck. Speed over functionality every time, that girl!
Daddy's favourite truck: Has to be the car transporter - I always loved my Dinky Toy one.
(Kindly supplied for review)
"William Bee's Wonderful World of Trucks" by William Bee is out now, published by Pavilion