Despite the move tie-in nature of the book, the story is simple and suited to early readers. It retells the movie in an extremely simplified narrative, focused through the lens of the friendship between Lightning McQueen and Mater. McQueen has ambitions of winning the big race, and Mater just wants a best friend. They both come to understand the other's desires, and realize that friendship is the most important goal of all.

Nothing original or very developed, but readers who choose this book will already be familiar with the movie and have the back story in place. The message is a positive one, and the illustrations are bright and cheerful and full of the two most popular characters from the franchise. Simple sentences serve their purpose of providing practice for early readers. Overall, it's a decent book for one based on a character, and though there are better beginning reader options, fans of the Car series will be pleased. ( )

An adaptation of the movie. ( )