Author: Feather Schwartz Foster
ISBN: (10) 0-9785158-3-8


From the moment "T" (that's short for Model-T Ford) rolls off of "Mr.
Ford's assembly line" until he gets rescued from a junk heap by his first
owner's great-grandchildren, "'T' An Auto-Biography dishes up a lot of
educational fun. Not only does Feather Schwartz Foster give a detailed
description of the appearance and workings of a Model-T Ford, but as the
car passes through time and changes owners, Foster also presents
entertaining bits of American history throughout her 68-page book.

How much American history? Well, "T" receive a broken headlight from one
of Babe Ruth's home runs and is also used (temporarily and most
unwillingly) as a getaway car by some 1930's robbers. The book also covers
some World War Two home front history as well, but always keeping
automobile history as its main focus. For instance, as the Model-T drives
his "Rosie the Riveter" owner to her factory job during World War Two, he
is astounded that the "new cars" don't need cranks to start up, don't
contain "rumble seats" and that "some even [have] a radio so you could
listen to Bing Crosby sing while you were driving."

Although Schwartz Foster's use of phrases like "fancy-dancy" and
"bright-eyed and bushy-tailed" occasionally bring her book to the brink of
cutesy, "T" never actually falls off of that cliff. These idioms merely
add to the exciting, almost breathless tone of the book and help ensure
that it will certainly hold the interest of children while their parents
and educators will be pleased at the educational punch the book provides.

The above review was contributed by:  Kathryn Atwood: Click Here To View More Of Kathryn's   Reviews:

Kathryn Atwood's poetry, reviews and essays have appeared in numerous online and print journals, including "The Aurora Review,", "Afterimage," "Void Magazine," "Wild Violet," and "PopMatters."  When she's not writing or driving her three kids around somewhere, she's usually teaching at a local music studio or givng vocal performances with her husband on the  subject of American song.