Fast Rides

Sharp, colorful photos and succinct texts provide brief but informative introductions to record-setting vehicles. Chapter spreads vary in length, but they adequately cover the topics. Captions add to the close-up photos, some of which cover the bottom half of spreads, while others occupy full pages; there are also smaller inset images. Each chapter opens with data on the type of car and its top speed, and includes other related information such as its horsepower, driver, and the location of the track where the record was set. The narratives, which are provided in framed chunks accompanied by one sidebar per spread, read smoothly. A closing “More…” page depicts, for example, a school bus doing a wheelie as well as an image of Shirley Muldowney, the first female Top Fuel dragster and first female champion (Drag Racers). This series deserves first consideration.