Roy Makes a Car

by Mary E. Lyons

"If Roy Can't Fix It, Nobody Can" Down in Eatonville, Florida, there's a man who can clean spark plugs just by looking at them hard, and who can grease an axle faster than you can say "carburetor." Folks round those parts claim Roy Tyle might just be the best mechanic in the world. But Roy, you know, he never can find an automobile made to suit him. He figures, if a car was built right, there wouldn't be so many collisions out on the road. And so...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0689846401
• ISBN13: 9780689846403
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 9.4" x 11.2"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

A Bigger and Better Machine

In ROY MAKES A CAR, Mary Lyons presents a story originally collected by the legendary Zora Neale Hurston. In it, we meet Roy Tyle, considered by most to be the best mechanic in Eatonville, Florida. Roy, frustrated by his belief that automobile accidents are the result of poorly constructed cars, claims that he could build a better, safer car. He sets out to do just that and creates a series of vehicles that have locals, out-of-towners, and even God himself, talking. This story is a pleasant read that young children are sure to enjoy. It has a delightful cadence and the use of language is sure to inspire some laugh-out-loud moments. Terry Widener's illustrations are as big and bold as the yarn that unfolds and I highly commend Lyons for her stellar adaptation of this story. Additionally, I appreciate the fact that books such as ROY MAKES A CAR ensure that future generations are exposed to these stories and that folk tales such as this one will not be lost. (RAWKidz Rating: 4.5) Reviewed by Stacey Seay, Children's Editor for The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers