DAN, THE TAXI MAN

Dan the cabbie puts pedal to the metal to pick up a rock band and get it to a gig.

Written as a cumulative rhyme, the narrative barrels along just like the classic yellow cab in Culotta’s high-energy cartoon illustrations. Sporting a hip handlebar mustache and goatee and endowed with a personality as big as his seat-filling body, Dan motors through town and country settings like there’s no tomorrow. He picks up Maureen with her tambourine (“Shake-a shake, crash! Shake-a shake, crash!”), Tyrone with his saxophone (“Squeeba-dee dee, squeeba-dee doo!”), and a trio of other musicians in succession. A chorus between each stop invites readers to “Climb inside while you still can / with Dan, Beep! Beep! / the Taxi Man.” At ride’s end the cheery chauffeur pulls up in front of the sold-out Rockin Joint, lets the band out—and then joins the motley lot onstage as lead singer.

Noisy fun, with a strong beat and a narrative pattern that even younger audiences will have no trouble catching.