Wheels, no wheels by Shannon McNeill

 With only a handful of words and some clever art, McNeill has written a hilarious picture book that will have adults and kids alike giggling.

The llama, cat, and turtle do not have wheels. The skateboard, tractor, and bike do have wheels. Put them together and wild fun ensues. But what happens when the dark-skinned, female-presenting farmer tries to chase after them and has no wheels? Fortunately, these three wacky animals aren't the only ones with wheels and a handy ox cart helps the farmer catch them up, only to encounter disaster yet again, on a zebra crossing (being crossed, appropriately, by a zebra). However, all ends well, because there's one more animal on the cover who's got wheels - and some pretty impressive wheels at that!

The art, a mix of cut paper and paint, has just the right serious feel to complement the straight-faced text with a fine sense of movement as the various animals and the farmer zoom off on their wheels. This is one of those delightful picture books that can be read with equal success to both toddlers, preschoolers, and even school-age kids. I even got some giggles reading it aloud to my staff. The littlest ones can echo the wheel refrain and point out the wheels, the preschool kids will giggle at the destruction and zooming parade, and the older kids will grasp the more subtle jokes and expressions.

Verdict: A wonderful storytime choice, the only caveat being that this is a little more expensive than the average picture book. It's well worth a little extra though and I strongly recommend it.

ISBN: 9780735270374; Published June 2022 by Tundra; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Added to library order list