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Toot Toot Zoom! by Phyllis Root
A funny, fast, and noisy tale about finding friends where you least expect to is the perfect vehicle for reading aloud.Poor Pierre! He lives all alone at the foot of a mountain, and his heart, how it longs for a friend. Perhaps if he hops in his car — toot, toot, zoom! — he will fi nd a friend on the other side of the mountain! On the road — SCREECH! — he meets Goat, who kindly offers to help. And that, says Pierre, is exactly the sort of thing his friend will do when he finds him! Up, up they zoom, collecting an amiable Sheep and Bear along the way. Will the car make it to the top? Will it get safely down? Will Pierre ever find a friend? Phyllis Root’s wry, cumulative story revs readers up with BIG sound words, while Matthew Cordell's energetic illustrations and a fun, dynamic design keep them happily strapped in for the ride.
Paperback
First published April 28, 2009
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About the author
Phyllis Root
107 books71 followers"Picture books are performances," says Phyllis Root, quoting some sage advice she once received. "They're performances that involve a child--something both of you do. And once I started thinking of them that way, I started getting much looser about making up words and playing around with rhythm."
Phyllis Root picked up an early affinity for colloquial language while growing up in Indiana and southern Illinois, "where people actually say things like, 'I got a hitch in my git-along'!" She decided to be a writer in the fifth grade, but it wasn't until she was thirty years old that she took a writing course with an influential teacher who gave her "the tools" she says she needed. "That's when I figured out that you could learn to be a writer," she says. What followed was a series of rollicking stories that take on a new life when read aloud, among them ONE DUCK STUCK, a one-of-a-kind counting book; KISS THE COW!, an affectionate salute to stubbornness; WHAT BABY WANTS, a tale of increasingly ridiculous efforts to quiet an infant that one reviewer compared to an episode of I LOVE LUCY, and LOOKING FOR A MOOSE, a buoyant tale with a final surprise discovery.
The author does "endless rewriting" before a book is finished, but often starts out by writing her stories in her head, a trick she learned as a time-pressed mother when her two daughters were very young. For example, RATTLETRAP CAR--a joyful celebration of perseverance--began with her playing around with sounds ("clinkety clankety, bing bang pop!") and calling up bits of old camp songs.
A master of rhythmic read-alouds, Phyllis Root exhibits a range many writers would envy. Her counting book TEN SLEEPY SHEEP is as serene and lulling as ONE DUCK STUCK is rambunctious. "Counting sheep isn't always easy," she notes. "Once, while we were farm-sitting, my daughter and I had to chase down two runaway lambs in the growing darkness, then count twenty-seven frisky lambs to make sure they were all safe for the night. Luckily, they were." OLIVER FINDS HIS WAY is a quiet, classic picture book about a defining moment in the life of a small child--getting lost and having the pluck to find the way home. On the other extreme, Phyllis Root takes on no less than the whole universe in BIG MOMMA MAKES THE WORLD, a powerful, original, down-home creation myth that received rave reviews and won the prestigious BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK Award. Most recently, Phyllis Root penned LUCIA AND THE LIGHT, a timeless adventure about one brave girl's quest that was inspired by Nordic lore.
When she's not writing, Phyllis Root teaches at Vermont College's MFA in Writing for Children program. She lives with her two daughters and two cats in a 100-year-old house in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and loves to read (mostly mysteries with female protagonists) or spend time outdoors gardening, camping, sailing, or traveling. "One of the things I've learned about myself," she confides, "is that when I get really stuck and can't seem to get writing, it's because I've forgotten to take time out to play."
Phyllis Root picked up an early affinity for colloquial language while growing up in Indiana and southern Illinois, "where people actually say things like, 'I got a hitch in my git-along'!" She decided to be a writer in the fifth grade, but it wasn't until she was thirty years old that she took a writing course with an influential teacher who gave her "the tools" she says she needed. "That's when I figured out that you could learn to be a writer," she says. What followed was a series of rollicking stories that take on a new life when read aloud, among them ONE DUCK STUCK, a one-of-a-kind counting book; KISS THE COW!, an affectionate salute to stubbornness; WHAT BABY WANTS, a tale of increasingly ridiculous efforts to quiet an infant that one reviewer compared to an episode of I LOVE LUCY, and LOOKING FOR A MOOSE, a buoyant tale with a final surprise discovery.
The author does "endless rewriting" before a book is finished, but often starts out by writing her stories in her head, a trick she learned as a time-pressed mother when her two daughters were very young. For example, RATTLETRAP CAR--a joyful celebration of perseverance--began with her playing around with sounds ("clinkety clankety, bing bang pop!") and calling up bits of old camp songs.
A master of rhythmic read-alouds, Phyllis Root exhibits a range many writers would envy. Her counting book TEN SLEEPY SHEEP is as serene and lulling as ONE DUCK STUCK is rambunctious. "Counting sheep isn't always easy," she notes. "Once, while we were farm-sitting, my daughter and I had to chase down two runaway lambs in the growing darkness, then count twenty-seven frisky lambs to make sure they were all safe for the night. Luckily, they were." OLIVER FINDS HIS WAY is a quiet, classic picture book about a defining moment in the life of a small child--getting lost and having the pluck to find the way home. On the other extreme, Phyllis Root takes on no less than the whole universe in BIG MOMMA MAKES THE WORLD, a powerful, original, down-home creation myth that received rave reviews and won the prestigious BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK Award. Most recently, Phyllis Root penned LUCIA AND THE LIGHT, a timeless adventure about one brave girl's quest that was inspired by Nordic lore.
When she's not writing, Phyllis Root teaches at Vermont College's MFA in Writing for Children program. She lives with her two daughters and two cats in a 100-year-old house in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and loves to read (mostly mysteries with female protagonists) or spend time outdoors gardening, camping, sailing, or traveling. "One of the things I've learned about myself," she confides, "is that when I get really stuck and can't seem to get writing, it's because I've forgotten to take time out to play."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
April 20, 2016
Best part about this book: giving Pierre a bad French accent when reading it aloud (mainly because that's the only kind of French accent I can do).
Or, heck, even when reading it silently.
Or, heck, even when reading it silently.
October 19, 2010
I love this book, largely because of the line, "Where are you going so toot toot zoom?" which always makes me laugh. The others like it, but not as much as I do.
February 18, 2012
When Pierre heads up the mountain in his red car in search of a friend, he finds three good friends along the way. Goat, Sheep, and Bear are all looking for friends and adventure too, and they join him, even helping him push the car to the mountain top when it breaks down. But failed brakes cause a mishap, and the animals are all stranded on the other side of the mountain. Still, sometimes true friends turn out to be right under our noses all along. I loved the repetitive phrases contained in the book, and the animals' willingness to help each other, but the softly hued ink and watercolor illustrations become a bit scary when all of the animals are thrown from the vehicle when it crashes. Despite their positive attitudes and the book's positive message, there is no way they could have escaped that wreck unscathed.
January 16, 2022
The problem of the book is solved so obviously as the story progresses, that I would be shocked if young readers didn't yell out how the problem Pierre states on the first spread is already solved by the third.
June 4, 2018
A fun one to read aloud and one that the kids can help because of the repeated words.
Pierre the fox is lonely. He lives at the bottom of a mountain all by himself. He decides he will go over the mountain to find a friend.
Pierre is polite and honks his horn on the curves of the switchbacks of the mountains, thus our "toot, toot, zoom".
Along the way, he runs into (almost literally), goat, sheep, and bear. They have a few mishaps, but discover friendship together by the end of the book.
Pierre the fox is lonely. He lives at the bottom of a mountain all by himself. He decides he will go over the mountain to find a friend.
Pierre is polite and honks his horn on the curves of the switchbacks of the mountains, thus our "toot, toot, zoom".
Along the way, he runs into (almost literally), goat, sheep, and bear. They have a few mishaps, but discover friendship together by the end of the book.
October 7, 2024
I just loved this adventure! This book uses fun words that "illustrate" sounds as well as having the reader turn the book when the mountain is high to get a real feel for the height of the mountain. I think it's fun the way that Pierre makes friends without realizing he's making friends on his way to try to make a friend. A great read.
November 25, 2025
A fox named Pierre lived all alone at the foot of a sky-high mountain and wanted a friend. He takes his little red car to find one, and along the way, he finds some other animals who want to help him. A cute friendship story that lends itself to animal voices and audience participation with "toot, toot, zoom." This would be a good friendship read aloud for preschool or kindergarten.
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June 17, 2022great read aloud with all the fun sounds in it. It is the story of a fox who goes in search for a friend on the other side of the mountain. As he picks up passengers, he learns a good lesson about unexpected friendship.
June 26, 2017
A good book that looks at the characteristics of friendship. It also deals with the idea that some of the best things are right in front of you and not elsewhere.
October 16, 2021
This one comes alive when read aloud. One of my kids’ favorites.
July 30, 2022
Josie, 2.5 years old, is a big fan.
April 6, 2023
A man sets out for a drive and picks up some animal friends along the way. preschool and up
June 2, 2024
I might be wrong. Kids might love the obvious theme. And the deadly crash from which the new friends walked away. And the ready abandonment of the old home(s). But I sure didn't.
July 31, 2025
it was too boring, and the ending didn’t make sense? how did the build that house and where did they get that lawnmower? - my 8yr old son
August 4, 2009
Pierre, the fox, lived all alone near a tall mountain. He had no friends at all. Realizing that there may be friends to be made on the other side of the mountain, he hopped in his car and heads to the other side. Heading up the mountain, he meets Goat, who asks for a ride in his car. Pierre then meets Sheep who also wants to find a friend, so he offers her a spot in the car. Bear then joins them in their search for a friend too. On their way down the windy hill, it may take a bit of shaking up to get them to notice what they have already found.
Root has created a story that makes a great read aloud. With not only the refrain of Toot, Toot, Zoom! but also the delight of the screeching breaks when Pierre meets each new animal, this book begs to be read aloud with great flourish. Cordell has created illustrations with lovely details that will work well with a group. Make sure you linger slightly on the last page so that everyone can see what happened to the little red car in the end.
Add this to both your car story times and your friend ones. Guaranteed to Zoom right off your shelves and into waiting toddler and preschool hands. Appropriate for ages 2-4.
Root has created a story that makes a great read aloud. With not only the refrain of Toot, Toot, Zoom! but also the delight of the screeching breaks when Pierre meets each new animal, this book begs to be read aloud with great flourish. Cordell has created illustrations with lovely details that will work well with a group. Make sure you linger slightly on the last page so that everyone can see what happened to the little red car in the end.
Add this to both your car story times and your friend ones. Guaranteed to Zoom right off your shelves and into waiting toddler and preschool hands. Appropriate for ages 2-4.
June 29, 2012
Pierre lived all by himself at the foot of a tall mountain and what he wanted more than anything else was a friend. So he got into his little red convertible and began driving up the mountain. At every curve he would honk his horn, “Toot toot zoom!” On his journey to find a friend on the other side of the mountain, he meets a goat, a sheep, and a bear. The animals join him in the car to help him find a friend. When they finally reach the other side there’s no one there, but Pierre realizes he has found three wonderful friends along the way.
Root’s text, full of sounds and repetition, is mostly dialogue, making this a great read aloud book about friendship. The watercolor and ink illustrations are sunny and light. The characters are whimsical; Pierre is a fox who wears a jaunty blue and white striped shirt and beret, while the bear sports a yellow scarf and earrings. The layout of the book is attractive; sometimes the little red car simply drives through the text, at other times the text is layered over a full page illustration.
Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...
Root’s text, full of sounds and repetition, is mostly dialogue, making this a great read aloud book about friendship. The watercolor and ink illustrations are sunny and light. The characters are whimsical; Pierre is a fox who wears a jaunty blue and white striped shirt and beret, while the bear sports a yellow scarf and earrings. The layout of the book is attractive; sometimes the little red car simply drives through the text, at other times the text is layered over a full page illustration.
Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...
February 3, 2010
More than anything, Pierre wants a friend. So one day he hops in his little red car and decides to drive to the other side of the mountain to find a friend. Along the way, he meets Goat, Sheep, and Bear, who all ask to come with him to find friends. When he reaches the other side, Pierre learns that perhaps he didn't have to look quite so far to find a friend after all.
I liked the general premise of this book. And I liked the repetition of "Toot! Toot! Zoom!" throughout. As I was reading the book, I was contemplating possibly trying it with my preschool storytime. (I could just picture them all saying "Toot! Toot! Zoom!" with me.) But then I got to the climax of the story, which I found extremely scary and could not imagine reading to a child. Maybe some children wouldn't think it was all that scary (although I would have when I was little), but I would still never use it in storytime. The ending was good, though. In fact, I liked almost everything about the book, except for that one major event.
I liked the general premise of this book. And I liked the repetition of "Toot! Toot! Zoom!" throughout. As I was reading the book, I was contemplating possibly trying it with my preschool storytime. (I could just picture them all saying "Toot! Toot! Zoom!" with me.) But then I got to the climax of the story, which I found extremely scary and could not imagine reading to a child. Maybe some children wouldn't think it was all that scary (although I would have when I was little), but I would still never use it in storytime. The ending was good, though. In fact, I liked almost everything about the book, except for that one major event.
April 27, 2015
I was so glad to find a book featuring a car that also served up a good story. Before reading the story rehearse with the children actions to do while saying "toot, toot, zoom" and to "screech"ing to a stop, as thes happens repeatedly throughout the story. The book is large in format so the pictures are easily seen by the entire group.
This book could be used in a story times featuring foxes, friends, goats, sheep, bears, cars, or mountains.
At one point in the story the animals get out and push the car. At this point we sang "The bear went over the mountain, the mountain, the mountain. The bear went over the mountain to see what he could see. And all that he could see, and all that he could see was the other side of the mountain, the other side of the mountain, the other side of the mountainnnnnnn, was all that he could see", as if the animals were singing as they pushed.
This book could be used in a story times featuring foxes, friends, goats, sheep, bears, cars, or mountains.
At one point in the story the animals get out and push the car. At this point we sang "The bear went over the mountain, the mountain, the mountain. The bear went over the mountain to see what he could see. And all that he could see, and all that he could see was the other side of the mountain, the other side of the mountain, the other side of the mountainnnnnnn, was all that he could see", as if the animals were singing as they pushed.
May 7, 2009
I started off liking this book: the repitition of Toot Toot Zoom as well as of the dialog between Pierre and each new friend he meets, even as he doesn't realize that he is making new friends.
However, in the end, after they've zoomed and sped all around the mountain, the car dives over a cliff, crashes into little pieces, and the animals dizzily realize they are okay, but are now stranded on the other side of the mountain.
Kinda strange...or am I reading too much into it?
However, in the end, after they've zoomed and sped all around the mountain, the car dives over a cliff, crashes into little pieces, and the animals dizzily realize they are okay, but are now stranded on the other side of the mountain.
Kinda strange...or am I reading too much into it?
June 21, 2009
Pierre is looking for a friend and thinks he can find one if he drives to the other side of the mountain. On his way, he picks up other animals who also want to see what is on the other side of the mountain. Over the length of the journey Pierre realizes that he doesn't need to look for friends because he has new ones in his car. Great repeating phrase that kids will love. Good for preschool storytime.
April 28, 2011
The little red fox who lives at the very bottom of the mountain doesnt have a single friend. Noone is ever around down where he lives. So he believes since noone is around where he lives, that there must be some friends on the other site, so he ventures off to explore and find new friends. Driving along in his red car he makes all sorts of new friends. I love this story.. It is very cute and attention grabbing with its great illustrations.
January 7, 2011
A lot of noise in this book. Zoom! Vrooom! Smash! Bash! etc. you get the picture. Great read aloud book. Friendship and cooperation major themes. The car crash was a little disturbing (x's and *'s over the sheep's eyes, teeth hanging out of all the others) but they all survived.Thank goodness! The car didn't make it though.
October 28, 2013
In this humorous look at the search for a friend, Pierre finds himself zig zagging up a mountain road and picking up passengers along the way. In this repetitive tale, Pierre finds that when his car breaks down and he is stranded on the other side of the mountain that he indeed had found what he was looking for along the way.
March 18, 2010
Pierre is in search of a friend and embarks on a journey up a mountain. On the way, he encounters several animals, only to discover he'd made friends on his way! The repetition makes this a good story for a younger set, and a potential good one to turn into a told story. All in all, a cute book.
August 17, 2010
I liked the general idea of the book with Piere tring to find a friend. I found it funny how he was finding friends without realizing it. I like the repition of the toot, toot zoom. Its illistrations aren't my favorite style, not one that I need to own but a fun read form the library.
April 27, 2013
Pierre takes his little red car over the mountain to find a friend. Along the way there are other animals with the same idea. A nice idea for a story but the car crash and the animals not realizing they could be each others friend until the last page makes me not like this book as much as I hoped.
May 11, 2009
Good start, lots of repition--but the crash just seemed needlessly violent and scary. Honestly I would have enjoyed it much better if it stopped at the top of the mountain.
May 26, 2009
Though the end was obvious from the beginning, this was still a fun story. I may try it out at storytime.
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July 29, 2009fox needs a friend - friendship theme (with Fox finds a friend)
December 10, 2009
"car trip, friendship"
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews