I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the author
Sammy the Station Wagon
by
Tal Nuriel
picture book in a PDF edition that was published by Amazon Digital Services on December 15, 2017 and has 18 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Illustrator: Aidar Zeineshev
A standalone picture book for young children that encourages them to rejoice in their own strengths.
NOTE: Sammy the Station Wagon was sent to me by the author for an honest review.
My Take
This was a cute story involving a young station wagon who can’t seem to get it right, just as so many children in the real world can’t seem to get it right, whether it’s ADHD, ADD, etc.
It is, however, a lot of fun with an easy metaphor for kids to relate to their own issues. With any luck, it’ll relate to the Johnnies and Chrises out there too!
I love Wheeler and that combined metaphor of pediatrician and mechanic…a nice parallel for kids in learning about maintaining a car. I also loved that the power figures in Sammy’s life are so supportive. I wish more adults were as understanding.
YES!! I adored this: ““As long as you learned something new, then the race was a success!” It’s a maxim that applies throughout our own lives.
My only quibble is that it was too short. More examples of how Sammy and his friends face down the bullying would have provided young readers and their parents with more ideas on how to cope with the negatives.
I’d get that Kindle, though, for this story’s a pip!
The Story
Sammy the Station Wagon can never get it right at driving school, and some of the other cars mock him for how difficult it is.
However, Sammy’s got a golden secret under his hood of which even he isn’t aware.
The Characters
Sammy the Station Wagon is a young blue car who is always screwing up. Sammy’s parents are blue and gray cars. Mike the Minivan (he’s white) and Susie the Sedan (she’s pink) are his friends.
Other cars at the driving school including Johnny the Jeep (he’s red) and Chris the Convertible (a light purplish blue).
Coach Vance, the head of the school’s racing team, is a brown van.
Mechanic Wheeler (a big green truck) is a special mechanic who repairs young cars.
The Cover and Title
The cover is cheerful as a garage full of assorted autos…only, there’s one blue station wagon dreaming about winning the race! The title is black in a soft font at the top while the author’s and illustrator’s names are in white on the bottom right.
The title is our hero, visit Sammy the Station Wagon at his website.
