Lightning McQueen Tries to Be His Buddy's Keeper in Look Out for Mater!

I’ve started seeing previews for the sequel to Cars, the 2006 Pixar movie set in a world entirely populated by vehicles. I loved the original movie, so I’m really looking forward to the second one. In the meantime, I’ve enjoyed returning to that world now and then via animated shorts and books, most of which heavily involve my favorite character, dim-witted but big-hearted tow truck Mater.

In the Little Golden Book Look Out for Mater!, written by Andrea Posner-Sanchez and illustrated by Ivan Boix Estudi, flashy racecar Lightning McQueen is happily settled in the tiny town of Radiator Springs. While he is famous now and receives visits from fans from all around the country, he’s happiest in the company of his sleek girlfriend Sally and rusty best buddy Mater. He and Mater have a lot of fun together, but the tow truck has a way of attracting trouble, so when Sally goes out of town, she makes Lightning promise to look after his friend and keep him out of mischief. But is that too tall an order?

Mater’s defining characteristic is enthusiasm, and that certainly comes across in this book. He wants everything to be an adventure. The most adventurous spot nearby is the gravel pit just outside of town. It’s full of exciting twists and turns, not to mention a very grumpy bulldozer who doesn’t want to be disturbed. Most of the book involves Lightning’s inner conflict as he tries to decide whether it’s better to let Mater have his fun or insist that he find a safer playground.

The characters in this book are recognizably themselves, but they don’t have a computer-animated look to them. Instead, they seem painted in a patchy, rather impressionistic style. It’s fun to see these characters portrayed in a slightly different artistic manner, and the landscapes look especially interesting this way. While none of the other major characters from the movie is mentioned by name, several show up at some point, so it’s fun to be on the lookout for them and point them out as they appear. Meanwhile, Big Bull the bulldozer is delightfully intimidating, especially in one illustration in which he materializes suddenly, glowering.

Look Out for Mater! is a cute book about playing it safe and watching out for your buddies. It is a little heavy-handed with its emphasis on avoiding situations that are clearly dangerous, but that’s not a bad point to drive home, since those are the very situations that so often appeal to spunky kids. It will be a while before we get to see Mater and Lightning on the big screen again, but books like this make the wait easier for fans of these endearing four-wheeled friends.