Vroomaloom Zoom

Carmela--who has a ""car"" in her name--likes to be lulled by a revving motor. Wearing fuzzy slippers and carrying a sleepy-eyed owl doll, she skips out to a Beetle-round automobile. Her dad, in aviator goggles and gloves, brings the keys. "" `It's late,' Dad says as they drive out of town. `Ready for sleep?' `Not yet, Daddy. Keep driving.' "" The two ride across mountains and past waterfalls, with sound effects to match the impressive scenery: ""through woods/ whoo whoo/ in cities/ pell mell bell yell/ all the way to the sea/ splash dash wave crash."" Carmela keeps her eyes open as long as she can, always telling her father, ""Keep driving."" Coy (Night Driving) uses onomatopoeia on every page: the ""wurgle lurgle"" of a swamp may be more effective than the airy ""swoosh awoosh"" of the car rushing forward, but much of the fun is figuring out how to make the various sounds. Cepeda (Nappy Hair) composes abstract American landscapes in vast, flat planes of warm color, underpainted in bright complementary hues of fuchsia and lavender. Broad swoops of orange sunset make a mellow backdrop, and the daffodil-yellow car bounces merrily along on its offroad adventures, with Carmela gazing out the back window and her smiling dad facing front. This bedtime story takes its participants far afield without even leaving the driveway. Ages 6-8. (Oct.)