It is a story, like Leon Garfield, full of darkness, shifting lights and sly humour, not to be forgotten.

This classic story, first published in 1930, immediately seduces the reader with its hilarious world existing just under the surface of our own… Full of good jokes – mainly at the expense of the Fattypuffs – and good drawings by Fritz Wegner

One of our favourite books as children

Wegner’s drawings of the lands of the Thinifer and Fattypuff people are heartwarming, imaginative and kind, but, more importantly, they are very funny

McAllister effectively turns what could have been a humdrum story about car design into a real page-turner and a daring tale . . . A feel-good story about the French Resistance that might very well inspire more than a few designers and engineers.

A fantastic family read; this is a story with a big heart based on an amazing idea . . . This is easily one of my favourite books so far this year - a brilliant and magical read that will stay with me until the day that I die. It is a great debut story with bags of drive and vroom.

Refreshingly different and very engaging . . . There is so much to enjoy in this book

A delightful book

Unusual and delightful

I loved this delightful novel. It's intended for middle grade readers but people of all ages will love it.

The tale rollicks along with suspense, reversal, and surprise . . . Along the way, the author gives us a finely drawn evocation of the drama the French lived through, as well as an enthralling account of how a remarkable car - designed by an Italian, engineered by the French - was born. A captivating book for young people of all ages.

My book-loving boy was immediately engrossed . . . Each chapter left him wanting to know what was coming next, and he read it cover to cover with great interest.