Clever Cogz: The book of cars and trucks by Neil Clark

There are lots of picture books for children featuring cars and trucks, from talking vehicles to racing vehicles, photographs to drawings. This is the first I've seen that shows how these vehicles work in a way that's simple enough for kindergarteners to understand!

Clever Cogz is a robot and along with their sidekicks, mice Nutty and Bolt, they take the reader on a trip to learn all about different kinds of cars and trucks. There is a table of contents, which is more like an index than a list of chapters, since each section is only one or two pages. The first page shows a cut-away picture of a car and labels the different parts - wheels, engine, license plate. The next page shows how the wheels connect on the axle, then how the tires are made to grip the road. The book continues through the controls, how the engine and battery work, and how the car is designed for safety and efficiency.

The second half of the book profiles some different vehicles, a racing car, camper, truck, dump truck, and fire engine. The last page has a quiz on some of the facts in the book. The book itself is a trim size, about 8x8, and the pictures are bright and cheerful, showing Cogz and their sidekicks driving, investigating, and exploring vehicles. This was originally a British series and includes books on "flying machines," "rocket ships," and more.

Verdict: It's not as complete as, say, Science Comic's Cars, but it's a great introduction for young children, even if they don't grasp all the words. Sure to fly off your shelves for the little ones who love vehicles and big readers who want the basics!

ISBN: 9781786036308; Published May 2019 by QED Publications; Borrowed from another library in my consortium