IF I BUILT A CAR

A young designer verbally crafts a dream car in this retro-flavored flight of fancy, proudly unveiling to his bemused dad and dog a domed, finned, two-toned sedan that combines spiffy features of classic Cadillacs and Jetsons-era styling—plus pool, sofa, snack machine, a robot at the wheel and the ability to be a boat, a submarine or a rocket. Van Dusen portrays it all in bright, 1950s colors, adding a shiny-featured lad and giving every surface, even the dog’s nose, a plastic sheen. “My car will be cool! My car will be keen! / My car will be one big fantastic machine!” Will readers start badgering their parents to trade in the family Humvee or Beamer? Not likely—especially as there’s nary a video screen in sight—but budding designers will certainly get a jumpstart from this. (Picture book. 6-8)