Any parent who endures car rides with grumpy kids is sure to crack a smile or two while reading this picture book. Ride is about the inevitable conflicts that result from cramming the family into a car, especially when Brother and Sister aren't quite in the mood for a ride.
It all starts when Brother sticks his foot over the backseat crack into Sister's "space". Though, judging by the looks on these children's faces as they reluctantly step into the car (and the name-calling), it probably started well before that. Or perhaps it's mother's "try to get along" that helps spark a ruckus. But a ruckus it is that ensues in fantastical proportions. The battle is depicted with car seat and furniture throwing, Brother blasting Sister into space, and Sister retaliating as a menacing twister with Brother a powerless house beneath, to name a few.
Mother has a "good idea" (or is it?) — she has packed a lunch for the kids. The story ends with the jam from Brother's sandwich squirting into Sister's face. Any child can guess that this story likely doesn't finish there — even without the question mark cleverly placed after the words "the end".
This book is a delight — from the dramatic, assertive style of the illustrations that perfectly expresses the mood, to the backseat detour into fantasy-fighting complete with castles and dinosaurs. Both children and parents may see themselves in this story — through Mother's hopefulness, Father's almost reflexive "good idea, dear", and the kids' downright contrariness. The sense of no real beginning or end to the conflict is a humorous reflection of reality. This snatch from an ongoing battle in the lives of siblings offers an entertaining and objective perspective on sibling conflicts, allowing family members to stop for a moment and laugh a little at themselves.
