dixiet's review against another edition
3.0
This book was very different from the film. The screenwriters just took the general idea of the magical car and its family (though there were changes in the family too), and wrote a totally new story about them. The book tells a simple, straightforward adventure story that was fine and all, but I expected more from the author of the James Bond stories. I have to say that this is a rare case where I preferred the film; too many songs, but oh! that Child-catcher!
zusy's review against another edition
5.0
David Tennant read this to us. A delightful story. I enjoyed it more than the movie. David Tennant possibly swayed me.
marci7's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
yorugua1891's review against another edition
4.0
Both my seven-year-old daughter and I had a blast reading this together!
I had never read this book before, and reading it to my daughter was a great experience. We both enjoyed the adventures of the Potts and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, especially the humor used throughout the text and the ingenious ideas that the author used in creating the different situations the family deals with. My daughter loved trying to guess what was going to happen next and learning about many topics she did not know about, such as the different parts of a car.
There are several things that have to be explained to a kid, and some that due to the time in which this was written are a little more challenging. For example, when the Potts go to France and they talk about needing francs, my daughter immediately laughed and said, "No, they need euros", so I had to go into the explanation of why this was the case before. I did not mind having to do this, since she was so engaged in the story that it was another element in which we could interact.
The drawings in this edition are beautiful, and we both enjoyed them very much. The level of detail is adequate and they did a very good job in picking which scenes to draw. The only aspect that I found challenging was some of the grammar and sentence structure. Many of the sentences are way too long, the author starts with a though and then takes some time to explain something he mentions before coming back and finishing the thought. It gets to the point where it is hard to follow, especially for a kid. This does not make the book unreadable, or anything close to that, but it would have been better if the author had not done it.
Overall, reading this book was a very pleasant experience, which my daughter and I cherished.
I had never read this book before, and reading it to my daughter was a great experience. We both enjoyed the adventures of the Potts and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, especially the humor used throughout the text and the ingenious ideas that the author used in creating the different situations the family deals with. My daughter loved trying to guess what was going to happen next and learning about many topics she did not know about, such as the different parts of a car.
There are several things that have to be explained to a kid, and some that due to the time in which this was written are a little more challenging. For example, when the Potts go to France and they talk about needing francs, my daughter immediately laughed and said, "No, they need euros", so I had to go into the explanation of why this was the case before. I did not mind having to do this, since she was so engaged in the story that it was another element in which we could interact.
The drawings in this edition are beautiful, and we both enjoyed them very much. The level of detail is adequate and they did a very good job in picking which scenes to draw. The only aspect that I found challenging was some of the grammar and sentence structure. Many of the sentences are way too long, the author starts with a though and then takes some time to explain something he mentions before coming back and finishing the thought. It gets to the point where it is hard to follow, especially for a kid. This does not make the book unreadable, or anything close to that, but it would have been better if the author had not done it.
Overall, reading this book was a very pleasant experience, which my daughter and I cherished.
surpriseitem's review against another edition
3.0
This book was not what I expected it to be. I read it for a school report a while ago, and...It's different than I remember. Of course, I only saw the movie...when I was like 5. Now, I'm not saying this book was bad, in fact, it was rather good. I just loved it when the gangsters came into the story ;) I will be rereading this soon, I hope.
deepfreezebatman's review against another edition
4.0
When I realized that Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was written by Ian Fleming and the screenplay was adapted by Roald Dahl, I just had to check it out. It has been a while since I've seen the film.. but from what I remember it's only very loosely based on the book.
Overall a fun quick read that will get that darn "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" song stuck in your head for weeks!
Overall a fun quick read that will get that darn "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" song stuck in your head for weeks!
mallorieedward's review against another edition
Great, fun read but it was due back at the library.
lucyjackson267's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
wiseowl33's review against another edition
4.0
I had seen the movie and now want to read the Frank Cotrell Boyce sequel so needed to read the first. Quick read, great British humor and fun story! I know kids would enjoy this even though it's from the 60's!