The Tin Snail

October 1, 2015
A tiny rural village does its part for the war effort by hiding what could be the greatest car ever invented. When Angelo travels to the French countryside with his father to recover from a mortifying and dangerous episode at the 1938 Paris Motor Show, he doesn't expect to find any chance of redeeming himself. But that's exactly what happens. Witnessing the laborious efforts of the local villagers inspires a car design in Angelo's imagination, a vehicle built for the layperson who must drive miles over rough road to deliver goods. Angelo builds a prototype with an old lawn mower and trailer and convinces both his father and his father's boss that it's an idea worth pursuing. They seem to be on the brink of something great when World War II interrupts their work and they have to hide their prototypes, with the villagers' help. McAllister's debut novel is based on a news story about three prototypes found in the hayloft of a barn in France in 1995. Kids will appreciate Angelo's confident, headlong enthusiasm and his hilarious mishaps driving across pocked fields, while adults will enjoy the new angle on both automotive and war history. The book's weak point lies in the last few pages, where the adventure comes to an end that's more convenient than satisfying. An unusual, mostly successful wartime adventure. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 9-12)

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November 1, 2015

Gr 4-7-Originally published in the UK, The Tin Snail is the story of a little car-and village-that could. The novel, set in 1940s France, is narrated by 13-year-old Angelo, who pins his hopes for his parents' marriage and his father's automobile company on a car he and his father will design for the "common people." The journey from the drawing board to the realized car traverses as many ruts and bumps as the car is designed to withstand. But Angelo never loses faith-even when the Nazis come sniffing around hoping to find the prototype of the "people's car." McAllister's novel is partially based on true stories, and readers will enjoy looking up facts about the real Tin Snail. The author's experience as a scriptwriter is evident in the well-crafted plot and pacing; scenes seem camera-ready. McAllister effectively turns what could have been a humdrum story about car design into a real page-turner and a daring tale of the French spirit. Angelo is likable, even when he's causing a catastrophe. Even the dissolution of Angelo's parents' marriage and his reaction to it are handled deftly and honestly. VERDICT A feel-good story about the French Resistance that might very well inspire more than a few designers and engineers.-Marie Drucker, Malverne Public Library, NY

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December 15, 2015
Grades 5-8 When Angelo accidentally crashes his father's brand-new prototype at the Paris auto show, he's consumed with guilt and determined to help his beleaguered pop come up with an even better car design, not only to save his career but his floundering marriage to Angelo's mother. While vacationing in a small village near Paris, Angelo and his father, after a few fits and starts, come up with a brilliant idea for a French people's car economical enough for a rural French family to afford and sturdy enough to transport a tray of eggs over a rutted field unharmed. But just as they complete their design, Nazis invade France, and they must find a way to keep their revolutionary design out of the hands of the enemy. Loosely based on the true story of the Citroen 2CV, McAllister's debut offers an unusual look at a much-studied historical period, and though it suffers from some uneven pacing and too broad a focus, middle-grade readers entranced by autos will find plenty to like. Black-and-white chapter-heading illustrations are a charming addition.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)