Jamie Michalak

Candlewick Press, March 2009
ISBN-13: 978-0-7636-3387-5

An adventurous giraffe drives off with his friend, a cautious turtle, to see the world in an endearing comedy of errors perfect for early readers!

Sparky is a turtle who likes to stay inside his shell. Joe is a giraffe who likes to stretch his neck and see the world. When a car appears one day at the famous cageless zoo where they live, the two set off on the ride of their lives, with Joe behind the wheel and Sparky hanging on for dear life. From the shopping mall to the car wash to the take-out burger joint, Joe and Sparky cause mayhem everywhere they go. Young readers will love sharing the road with this unlikely pair in a string of adventures that are by turns innocent, charming, and laugh-out-loud funny.


Praise for JOE AND SPARKY GET NEW WHEELS

A Junior Library Guild Selection

★“Children familiar with the Froggy books will recognize Remkiewicz's distinctively funny style and will laugh out loud at the innocent assumptions Joe and Sparky make as they explore the world outside Sparky's shell. Utterly charming!” —Kirkus, starred review

"A silly, action-packed tale!" —School Library Journal

"New readers will delight in meeting this lovable duo!" —JLG Monthly

"Goofy adventure and side-splitting humor for new readers. . . . Kids will not be able to read a page without laughing aloud." —Common Sense Media

"This is sure to be a hit!" —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Every mile of this wild trip goes over the limit with energy and good humor. . . . These two friends . . . readily join the ranks of Arnold Lobel's FROG AND TOAD. . . . Emergent readers will surely look forward to more adventures down the road." —Esme Raji Codell

"It's chuckle time. . . . Silly watercolors are in sync with the clever writing." —San Fransico Chronicle

"This four-chapter book offers likeable characters and . . . is sure to keep readers laughing." —Children's Literature