The metallic cover of Lord’s (Rules) first picture book, along with the image of the hamster hero waving a checkered flag, will draw readers inside this clever, rhythmic story. When a hamster decides to find a junkyard car to enter in a race, it must choose its car, tires, and so on, and readers are asked for their input (“Smooth wheels, stud wheels, driving through the mud wheels,/ Fat wheels, thin wheels, take her for a spin wheels./ Which would you choose?”). The answers, however, aren’t always readily discernable from the text or illustrations. When the hamster is racing against bigger competitors (“Stare face, scowl face, frowning grouchy-growl face.... Which would you choose?”), it answers, “GRRR. I’m built for speed!” Anderson’s (the Little Quack books) acrylic artwork is consistently action filled and comical. Full of entertaining details, the illustrations of the enthusiastic hamster, the wary bulldog who owns the junkyard, and miscellaneous mice and rats that appear develop the characters in ways that the exuberant text does not. Still, when it comes to kid appeal, the book’s interactive format should get impressive mpg. Ages 2–6. (Feb.)

PreS-Gr 1—Kids will be in the driver's seat, bonding with the hot-rod hamster as he sallies forth into a bulldog's junkyard to put together his very own race car. It's a dog's race, though, and children will sympathize with the small creature's struggle to compete with bigger, gruffer opponents and cheer him on to the finish line. Close-ups of the mud-streaked track in the bold-stroked, textured acrylics allow readers to see the competition at eye-level with the hamster (and axis-level with the other contenders). But the action builds up even before the engines start, and young readers will love helping the irrepressible hamster build his dream car. Their hands will dart up immediately when they hear the refrain, "Which one would you choose?" illustrated with comic-style illustrations of the myriad choices of cars, tires, parts, and flames, and they'll become hot-rod designers along with Hamster. If Bob Kolar's Racer Dogs (Dutton) or Brian Floca's The Racecar Alphabet (S & S, both 2003) are worn, torn, and vroom-vroomed in your library, add this one to the lot.—Sara Paulson-Yarovoy, American Sign Language and English Lower School PS 347, New York City

There's a hot-rod race at 4 Paws Speedway, and Hamster has a need for speed. He heads out to One Dog's Junk for some help building the perfect hot rod. "Old car, new car, shiny painted blue car, / Rust car, clean car, itty-bitty green car. / Which would you choose?" He gets to pick his wheels, his engine and his painted-flame design, too. Dog and his mechanic mice build Hamster's hot rod to specs. Though his competitors are skeptical-"Stare face, scowl face, frowning grouchy-growl face, / Bored face, dare face, nose up in the air face"-readers will guess the outcome of Hamster's big day at the races. Newbery Honor author Lord's picture-book debut is a rollicking, roaring read. In addition to the rhymed text punctuated by questions, the characters talk in speech balloons that move the story along without breaking the flow. Anderson's fluffy, jaunty illustrations are as full of energy as the rhymes. Young car enthusiasts won't be the only ones enamored of this hot-rodding rodent and his big canine buddy. (Picture book. 2-7)