The book called Ride is about a family that goes on a drive in the car as a family. I love how the characters are similar to my family growing up. The dad agrees with the mom saying, “Good idea, Dear.” The mom is excited to take the drive in the car. The kids are grumbling and picking on each other in the backseat. The art depicts the character’s mood and feeling perfectly. You can feel the frustration of the siblings in the backseat. The pictures move us through the plot and each event as it gets more elaborate and more imaginative. Stephen Gammell even drew the text of the story. The placement of the pictures and words add motion to the words that are being thrown at the siblings. It does not seem like the mom even realizes what was going on as she turns around at the end of the book to offer food and sandwiches.

The illustrations are done in pastels and watercolor and are abstract. It is the age old story of two siblings never ending fight in the back seat. Adults as well as kids will understand this immediately. The overall mood is negative and bleak however.