The Car Washing Street

by Denise Lewis Patrick, John Ward (Illustrator)

Even though his parents do not own a car, Matthew looks forward to Saturday mornings when all the people on his street wash their cars

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Cultural, Childrens, Realistic Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1993

Reviews

[Molly Toomey · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Matthew's block, they wash cars once a week. He loves to sit on his stoop with his father and watch everyone wash their cars and interact. He helps his various neighbors and finds that this simple weekly activity brings them together and allows them to share with one another. This is a good every-day snapshot of an inner city child and the different types of people who live around him. With beautiful illustrations, this book can be used in many ways within the classroom.

[Tammy Manns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Picture Book
Grade Level: Early Primary/Primary (Grades K-3)

This book brought many memories of washing cars on Saturday! I didn't live on a Car Washing Street but many of the things that happened in this story also happened when my brother and his friends got together and washed their cars or when we had a car wash to raise money for our church youth group! It's nothing like neighbors and friends getting together and just having fun bonding over cars and water and freeze pops or "Ices" as the author calls them in the story! I miss the days of fun in the sun that children of today don't know about because of the fascination of video games and violence that they hear about from day to day. This book will be added to my library to read and write about times long gone with the hopes of bringing them back.

[Kayla Yirdaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve heard stories of street parties in the city where fire hydrants were unleashed, pouring streams of water into the street. I imagined it like a concrete beach.

This book for young readers gives perspective of what it is like to live in a city, without a car. We get a sense of community and care. Illustrations by John Ward are detailed and reflective of black lives in the city.

Unfortunately, I didn’t find anything particularly captivating about this plot or book as a whole.

[Stephanie Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book found in my classroom, this one dates back to 1993. The story is a boy wanting to watch cars being washed on his street. The story and pictures already feels like a historical piece as people got out of their apartments to wash their cars and end up having a street party with open hydrants watering the neighborhood. Is this still happening? The pictures are beautiful.

[M.M. Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Car washing street could be any city street neighborhood in the world. However, this street has neighbors that know each other and care about each other. This is a street that people take care of their homes and the property the live in. There is no graffiti or trash. Kids play. There is no drive-by shootings.

Does this street really exist in our world today? The answer to that is, it depends.

Whatever the case, I would not mind living on this street. Every Saturday I would sit out with the main character of, Matthew, and enjoy watching the neighbors as they clean their cars. I would enjoy the music and the laughter.

This is about a street that at very least, used to exist but for the most part, no longer does. That to me is a bit sad. This book reminds me of those times when life was just simple and people enjoyed each other. It is a memory of not too long ago. It is nostalgia.

This is a book that kids need to read and maybe someday the world can just turn back to simplicity again because they did.

5 stars.

Disclosure: I bought a copy of this book for my own collections. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Naila Moon

[Jenna]

I love this story specifically because in all of the culturally diverse book I have read, or just book in general vey rarely do you see Latinos and African Americans hanging out with each other. This book highlights a special fun time a young boy has with his dad while very subtly mentioning that they live in harmony with their Latino neighbors, which I think is great. I’m not sure if it’s like this everywhere But I have definitely noticed this in my field placements that the two cultural groups don’t really every merge or play together and I think reading this book might encourage the younger kids to change and befriend one another.

[Zach · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, I would recommend this book for grades K-4. This book brought back so many good memories of my childhood with my younger brother. In this book two friends simply looked forward to washing cars on a hot day. When I was younger my brother and I would love to wash cars because that meant money. I actually really like how this book encourages kids to go outside and stay active, even if its as simple as a car wash. Also, the illustrations are very clear and well-drawn. This book is a nice easy read for younger readers.

[Molly Robbins · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Car Washing Street would be a great book to read to your kids for fun. It is a fun book to use for large group, just reading to the class. It's a story about a child and his father who go outside every Saturday to watch the people on the block wash cars. There ends up being a big party where there is music, water fights, and people just having a good time. It's a good book to teach about family, and friends and how important they are.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something exciting happens every weekend on Matthew's block. All of Matthew's neighbors come out to the street and wash their cars. Matthew and his father take a seat on their front step and watch their neighbors get their cars covered with soap suds on this very hot day.
I loved this book because it takes place in the inner-city and it promotes diversity in a community. The illustrations are great and make the text come alive!

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. It highlighted the importance of your neighborhood and enjoying the people around you everyday! The car washing street was the place to be! I laughed and just couldn't keep the smile off my face. I wanted to be there with them. What a joy and a light this book brings. I loved it.

[Nanee Zogaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little boy lives on a street where his neighbors wash their cars once a week and they have fun by having water fights, playing, and dancing together on the sidewalk. Great to help build the idea of a community in the classroom

[Becca Holcomb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matthew's block is filled with excitment when everyone comes together to wash their cars. This book is a great mulitcultral book to have. It shows how two cultures come together and bond through washing cars and just having a good time.

[Danielle Wynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone that lives on the same street as Matthew wash their cars on the hottest day of the week and it turns into a fun, wild soak party.

[Heather Summers · Rating 5 out of 5]

great story about what being neighbors really should be. Lifelike and realistic about what really happens on the streets in many neighborhoods where our students come from.

[Shaley Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book. It really shows how people on the street all get along even though some of them dont have a car. The car washing street is for every one.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book because it shows a community that comes together every weekend to wash their vehicles and the fun they have while doing it!