Cover Image: Around The World in Every Vehicle

Around The World in Every Vehicle

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Member Reviews

Such a fun, bright and colorful book! Lots of details. Would have loved to see more examples of vehicles, but I enjoyed the story line.

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I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A cute concept that fell a little short. I like the idea of traveling all over and exploring different transportation. The pictures were a little too busy at times, but I think kids will like them. Helps them show we are all closer than we think.

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The Van Go family is traveling around the world. They visit many countries. They take different modes of transportation. They also keep a journal, look-up names for similar vehicles in other countries, etc. The vehicle in India is called Auto-rickshaw and not Tuk Tuk. Illustrations are bright and good with many detailing.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC

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The illustrations are very cute with a warm and inviting color scheme and hidden gems if you keep an eye out (look for the lost mole on the first page!). The concept of traveling the world is one that is near and dear to my heart. My personal experience has taught me that seeing different parts of the world leads to a more informed and empathetic perspective, something that children would benefit from hugely. This book is a wonderful way to expose children to different parts of the world and maybe spark their travel bug just a little.

In addition to introducing many countries, the book incorporates little bits of foreign language (mostly in the form of signs) and talks about similarities between countries. For instance, while taking a tram in Istanbul, they talk about trams in other foreign cities. The wonderful food trucks in Mumbai spark an idea about doing a food-inspired vacation one day.

One of the features I especially appreciate is it helps set realistic expectations for travel. Sometimes there are traffic jams. Sometimes it’s overwhelmingly busy! People can get frustrated in these situations and not always behave well. It can take a long time, and many different forms of transport, to get from one place to the other. Traveling is amazing, but it isn’t all fun and games. It can be frustrating and exhausting. Like any other person, a child will handle the bumps better if they are prepared for them ahead of time. Kudos to the authors for addressing this!

As a grown-up who has been to a few of these places, I still learned something! While I knew of the “Chunnel” (the Channel Tunnel between England and France), I didn’t know they had a car train! Adding it to my bucket list NOW.

And finally, the book was especially inclusive, including trips to all the continents except Antarctica (for obvious reasons). The shortcoming of covering so much in a children’s book is a profound lack of depth, but I acknowledge that this is unlikely to be a complaint a child would have. ;) Overall, a fabulous way to introduce children to the concept of foreign travel, in a fun and realistic way. If I were preparing my kids for a lengthy trip of any kind, I would absolutely read this book with them and use it as a tool to stir excitement and set realistic expectations.

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This book shows the Van Go family travel the world in every kind of vehicle and transportation form.

The illustrations are fun and each page is packed with things to look at and study.

The story itself it a bit complicated for a young child. At this age, they are beginning to understand their immediate surrounds such as neighborhood, city and state. To introduce other countries and the detailed findings in this book would be beyond the comprehension of such children.

Amber Stewart should pitch this book for later elementary or early middle school children. It would definitely catch their attention and teach them about other countries in a way that would surprise the student by how much they learn from this book.

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Cute educational read going around the world in different vehicles. Book that is great for kids who are interested in vehicles or travel. .. or both.

Netgalley download

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I grabbed this book because I have a grandson who loves cars, trucks, planes and boats. The Van Go family (a family of red pandas) has decided to go around the world for summer break. They use and see a variety of transportation methods as they drive across Europe, and then fly to Asia, the United States (New York), Africa, and Australia/New Zealand.

The illustrations are a fun and cute cartoon style that kids should find interesting, but they are so busy and I found them a bit distracting. The family started their trip by driving their blue van across Europe from England to Turkey. They take rides on buses, metros and boats as they tour cities they stop in, as well as having a book or journal to compare things such as taxis in various countries. They also take planes and other transport methods as they go beyond Europe. My complaint was that there was too much tied up in this little book. Things were mentioned and there was a small picture but then they moved on. I would have loved to have seen them in a rickshaw or tuk-tuk in India, and I can’t believe the creators passed up those opportunities. I really don't think this book lived up to its title. Despite these areas of disappointment, the book does introduce many types of transportation all over the world. My grandson wanted to know what the various types of transportation were called and used for, if I had ever used them, if he would ever get the chance to ride in them, but he was not really interested in this story. This is not one I would necessarily recommend. The publisher, Quarto Publishing Group - QEB, generously provided me with a copy of this book. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

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I usually choose to review picture books shortly before their publication. The one that I’m reviewing today, Around the World in Every Vehicle, was published back in September, but I enjoyed it so much that I felt I had to share it three months post-publication!

Around the World in Every Vehicle follows the Van Go family (I love the play on words here!) as they set off from their familiar little town in Scotland and spend a summer travelling across Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa and Oceania.

The title certainly doesn’t disappoint – while I’m sure every vehicle in the world can’t possibly be included in the book, off the top of my head I couldn’t think of any that had been left out! It reminded me to a certain extent of the books by Richard Scarry, which are without doubt brilliant, but sometimes feel a bit too busy. This one seems to have struck just the right balance. From an educational perspective another major advantage over Scarry’s books is that the vehicles are all real – no gherkin-shaped trucks or egg-shaped cars.

There is such a wealth of fascinating information in this book, not only about different types of vehicles, but also countries, flags, famous landmarks, cultures, the ins and outs of travelling, and so much more. When certain vehicles are mentioned, there are also pictures of how that vehicle looks around the world. The information is all incorporated so well into the story and presented in such a lively way, that it feels more fun than educational.

The illustrations are absolutely delightful, with their vibrant colours and varied viewpoints – sometimes zoomed right out over a whole country to show the progress of the Van Go family, sometimes zoomed in, so that we feel close to them and part of their journey.

I would highly recommend this book for children between the ages of two and ten – as soon as I finished reading it, it went straight onto my daughter’s Christmas list!

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Around The World in Every Vehicle follows the Van Go family from Scotland (Mum, Dad, Freddie, and Daisy) as they travel around the world on a truly global vacation, visiting many countries and traveling by dozens of different type of vehicles.

The family begins their trip by heading to London in their little blue camper van where they see black cabs and big red buses. Freddie also has a journal which helps him learn about different types of the same kind of vehicle, for example, in London he opens it to see other kinds of buses from around the world such as a yellow US school bus. From London, the family head to Paris by Eurostar, then onto Germany, the Czech Republic and on to Turkey and India. Soon they are flying to Hong Kong, then on to New York, Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town, and then Australia (the order of the countries did confuse me a little here).

Along the way, the family sees jet skis and sailboats, ambulances and bicycles, delivery vans and airplanes. There are common vehicles like cars and trains, and less well-known ones like tuk-tuks in Thailand and trolley cars in San Francisco.

This is a lovely, colorful book that serves as a guide for young children to not only different kinds of vehicles but also to many different countries and cultures. There is some exploration of food and local activities in many of the locations, and maps are used help to give a sense of how the countries interconnect with one another. It was notable that most of the Middle East, the Balkans, and Eastern Europe was skipped over, but then it would be impossible to visit every country without turning the book into an encyclopedia.

This would make a great book for any child curious about the great wide world beyond their hometown.

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What a great book to teach your child about the world. This certainly appealed to my little boy who is vehicle mad so I think he was probably a little more interested in that than the different countries but I do think it is one of those books we will keep returning to and the information will get absorbed in (I hope)!

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A lovely colourful little book with a little information on the various destinations and incorporating lots of modes of transport. I imagine that this book would be a hit with the younger child. There are lots of things to find on each page and it gives information about each country's landmarks. It is a very interactive book read with another person.

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"Around the World in Every Vehicle" is a cute picture book about vehicles all over the world. Readers travel to different countries with the Van Go family and get to learn about different kinds of transportation. Fun, educational and entertaining. Rich content, beautiful graphics' an overall delightful read with my 5yo.

What I love about the book:

1- Understanding different countries name the vehicles differently (i.e. taxi v.s. cab)

2- Recognizing different countries on maps, their national flags, famous landmarks and etc. in a fun and engaging way

3- An easy to follow story line

4- Very creative by combining common knowledge and interests (i.e. transportation) together

I strongly believe most kids would find this book fascinating.

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I read Around the World in Every Vehicle with my son and we had a good time. This book begins with the Van Go family at their little house in Scotland. They go on an adventure around the world using different modes of transportation. Driving, flying, by bus, taxi, underground, this family gets around! They travel to England, France, India, USA and much more!

Around the World in Every Vehicle had adorable illustrations, and is perfect for families to read together! And if you have a little one who loves all things with wheels, from trucks to trains, they will love this book.

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The Van Go family is on the move across Europe and then around the world they go in their big blue van! Cars, trains, planes, taxi cabs and more! The illustrations are rich with detail, and there is so much to see and hear about, from preschoolers to independent readers. There opportunities to stretch the discussion to include the different locations the Van Go family travels. Thanks to #NetGalley and @QuartoKids for the opportunity to preview #AroundtheWorldinEveryVehicle by Amber Stewart!

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Fun trip around the world! Interesting facts and entertaining family to travel with. Great illustrations! Add a lot to the family and the locations around the world they travel too. Fun read with kids! Would recommend !

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The Van Go family has decided to go around the world for summer break. They use and see a variety of transportation methods as they drive across Europe, and then fly to Asia, the Americas, Africa, and Australia/New Zealand.

I had several thoughts as I read this book. First off, I’ve never read a picture book featuring a family of red pandas before, which I really liked. The illustrations are a fun and cute cartoon style that kids should find enthralling. I also liked that the family drove all the way across Europe from England to Turkey. Those outside Europe frequently forget that you can do such a thing. Now that isn’t to say that the characters avoided other methods of transportation on their cross-continent journey. They take rides on metros and boats and such as they tour cities they stop in, or they point out seeing a form of transportation. They then take planes and other transport methods as they go beyond Europe. I was a little disappointed that they didn’t experience more transportation methods (it doesn't quite live up to the title), though. I would have loved to have seen them in a rickshaw or tuk-tuk in India, and I can’t believe the creators passed up the opportunity for them to take the iconic cog-rail in Hong Kong up to the Peak. And I’m wondering at the level of research done for this book as I also noticed some incorrect information for Thailand. (They said the taxis in Thailand are tuktuks, but I live in Thailand and our taxis are normal cars painted bright colors or motorcycle taxis. Tuktuks are a form of transportation you can hire, but they are distinct from taxis and primarily just used by tourists. Outside of Bangkok where there are fewer taxis, songtaews, a kind of covered truck with benches in it, are the primary public modes of transport.) Despite these few parts I thought could be better, the book still does introduce many types of transportation all over the world. It presents a fun imagined world-wide family vacation which most kids will find an almost fantastical idea. And it is presented in eye-catching and engaging ways. Hand this to kids who like books about other countries or who are enthralled with vehicles.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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This book has wonderful illustrations and is chock full of information about traveling around the world. However, this book has so much information that it is a bit overwhelming for children, in my opinion. I would suggest this for older children and definitely recommend that it be rad with an adult who can guide them through the path of the information as well as the questions that will arise.

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I don’t know how true the title is—if I tried hard enough I could probably come up with something they missed—but other than that it’s a good tour of the world, with some famous landmarks standing out.
Nice to see the Charles Bridge in Prague, though the statues left something to be desired. The Haga Sophia looks minimalist-nice. It was an inspired choice to have them drive through Europe, then have the grandparents fly in to drive the van home while they go off to see the rest of the world on faster transportation.
I love the family name: Van Go.
On some pages an incident prompts them to look at similar vehicles around the world: buses, trams, fire engines, etc. It’s hardly ever that fitting with the story, but that’s not what this book is about.
Geographical mistake: They flew around the world twice when they should have gone to Australia between Asia and North America.

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Written well by Amber Stewart, and illustrated equally well by Duncan Beedie (both good Scots names I have to say!) this short story picture book was a fun romp across the globe employing an assortment of vehicles to make the trip.

It's educational as to geography as well as to different habits across the world when it comes to transportation, as we follow the rather foxy-looking Van Go family on a trip that's a trip! They set off from home on their bicycles and consult their map with seven major destinations marked all across the globe. They take an open-topped tour bus (see, it's not always raining in London!) past a hoard of traditional and distinctive-looking London taxis, and Freddie Van Go is moved to consult a book (yeay Freddie!) to discover what other kinds of buses there are.

This sets the tone for the other pages of the book, many of which are double-page spreads, so I wouldn't rely on your smartphone to read this in ebook form (Unless your kid is just looking at the pictures). You'll need a tablet - and a preferably regular-sized one rather than mini to read the small text.

I'm not sure it quite covered every vehicle (I saw no tank in there, for example!), but it sure covers a host of them: sea, air, land - and under the land! Yes, there is a trip through the Chunnel! It made for a colorful, varied, educational and fun read for young children. I commend it as a worthy read.

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What an adventure! This book is about the family Van Go who decides to travel the world with their three kids, and to try every single mode of transportation you can think of. Each page portrays one part of their journey, and most often the different ways to navigate to or inside of a city. When they ride on a tramway in Istanbul, the parents introduce tramways from different countries. Same with taxis, firetrucks, boats and so many more.

I liked that the books also talked about the different fears that a kid can experience while traveling, for example when Freddie was nervous going underground in Paris.

Whatever the age of your kid, I think they will find something to like about this book: the city sights, the local animals, the street food, the geographical locations, the flags, the distances between cities, or even the length of an airplane flight.

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