As children’s book titles go, this one manages to be both self-explanatory and intriguing. And as the mum of a son who wanted to be a car when he was younger and would career all over the pavement making revving noises on the daily walk to school, much to his big sister’s annoyance, I had to find out whether the bunny ever achieved his driving ambition.
The bunny’s reasons for wanting to be a car are certainly commendable – he wants to explore the world and take his friends along for the ride. So off he hops to the wheel shop and buys a wheel for each paw. But that’s not enough; he’s still not a car. Next stop is the engine shop, but even with wheels on all four paws and an engine on his back, he’s still a bunny. He’s one determined bunny, though, and after visits to various other vendors of motoring essentials, before long he’s sporting a bright yellow steering wheel, new orange differentials, four doors with purple handles, headlights, car seats and more. What he thought would set him free to roam wherever he pleases ends up weighing him down so he can hardly move at all.
Elad Schwartzberg’s cute illustrations include little details to chat about, and the use of repetition and rhyme will keep kids engaged to the end of this delightfully surreal tale where they’ll learn that all you need to do to have fun with your friends is simply be yourself. But that doesn’t stop you dreaming…
For children aged 4 to 8
Published by Dovik Nissenhaus
Buy the book here.