The Two Cars

by Ingri d'Aulaire, Edgar Parin d'Aulaire

In The Two Cars the celebrated husband and wife team of Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire, famous for their illustrated versions of Norse and Greek myths, offer young children a playful modern twist on the ancient fable of the tortoise and the hare.

Two cars sit side by side in the same garage. One is fast, shiny, and ready to go; the other is a comfortable old jalopy, a little worse for wear but as reliable as can be. On a magic moonlit night, the doors of the garage swing open and they head out for a spin, each determined to prove that he is the “best car on the road.” Over hill and dale and roundabout they go, encountering—and narrowly missing—trains, trucks, wildlife, and even, in the form of a policeman on a motorcycle, the long arm of the law. Before the two cars’ nocturnal caper is over, each will have discovered the being the “best” is not so simple as you might suppose.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1955

About the author

Ingri d'Aulaire (1904-1980) was an American children's artist and illustrator, who worked in collaboration with her husband and fellow artist, Edgar Parin d'Aulaire. Born Ingri Mortenson in Kongsburg, Norway, she studied art in Norway, Germany and France, and met Edgar Parin d'Aulaire when she was a student in Munich. They married in 1925, and immigrated to the USA shortly thereafter, settling in Brooklyn in 1929. After pursuing separate careers initially, the couple turned to illustrating children's books together, releasing their first collaborative effort, The Magic Rug, in 1931. They settled in Wilton, Connecticut in 1941, and lived there until their deaths in the 1980s. Awarded the 1940 Caldecott Medal for their picture-book biography of Abraham Lincoln, the d'Aulaires published other children's biographies, as well as some notable works on Greek and Norse mythology. (source: Wikipedia)

Reviews

[createitlibrarian (Amanda)]

The artist's style may make sense in other books, but I didn't care for it much in this one. I would have liked for all of the pictures to have color. I also thought that some of the wording was strange a. when the green car was pulled over, and b. when the green car got its bumper scratched. Given that there wasn't really a driver and the car was personified, I thought the language was weird.

(For my own notes: May want to tell the story in your own words if using during storytime. The story may not hold children's attention due to length.)

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful gem of a book! It's the old fable of the tortoise and the hare told with two cars, one new and one old, in place of the animals. Along the way children also learn about driving safely and some rules of the road. The illustrations really add to the story, especially the expressions on the faces of the cars, the animals watching the "race", and the moon in the sky. I'm so glad the New York Review of Books decided to reprint this old classic. Highly recommended!

[Cindi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't the typical history story book like the other D'Aulaire favorites at our house. This one fits into the "little boy books" category. It's a cute story about "Two Cars" in the vein of the Tortoise and the Hare with a cute twist at the end. Very enjoyable!

[Dylan & Belle at LearnPlayFun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rated and reviewed by Dylan, age 7

My favorite part was where the milk trains passed, because I love trains. The old car wasn't mad that he didn't win because he still proved he was the best car on the road.

My favorite picture was the milk train. It was triple awesome.

[Tara]

Adapted fable of "tortoise and the hare".

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.

[Andrea Renfrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I had read all the D'aulaire books, but I was wrong! I stumbled across this one in the Friends of the Library bookstore in mint condition and snapped it up. My 4 year old son loves it. I also get a kick out of the tortoise and the hare motif. This is a delightful gem added to our home library.

[Krystal · Rating 2 out of 5]

The illustrations are cute, but some of the book made no sense. It seems like the authors got confused on if the cars were driving themselves or if someone was driving them.

[📚Linda Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, The Two Cars contains a heavy-handed tale about ageism. It’s unfortunate because the d’Aulaires make beautiful classic illustrations, but in this case the plot is not deserving.

[Christine Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful allegory. I loved learning about the couple's history at the end of the book as well:)

[Josephine Burks · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son really liked this book.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not a fan of this book but my three-year old keeps asking me to read it to him over and over again. He is obsessed with cars.