The Motor Car Dumpy Book

Thomas William Hodgson CroslandProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.7

Word count: 4.7K words
Chapters: 1

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Motor Car Dumpy Book by T. W. H. CroslandAuthor: Crosland, T. W. H. (Thomas William Hodgson), 1865-1924,Language: English, Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres, Release Date: Feb 14, 2008

Editor's review

This is a children's book by the English writer Thomas William Hodgson Crosland. "Dumpy" in the title refers to a short, stout little car, and the whole book revolves around motor cars, written in the humorous and exaggerated tone of the early automobile age. As early twentieth-century children's literature, it records how people of that era imagined and teased the motor car, with lively language and a short length, and it has a certain period-document interest. For today's readers its main value lies in language learning and the observation of literary history: one can see the vocabulary, rhythm and humor of children's books from a century ago. The Gutenberg edition is a plain-text public-domain ebook with no modern annotations; some old-fashioned expressions require the reader's own judgment, so it suits a relaxed yet inquiring frame of mind.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in early car culture and old-fashioned children's books
Learners who want to practice reading with short humorous English texts
Enthusiasts studying early twentieth-century British children's literature
Casual readers who like collecting public-domain ebooks

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting modern automotive knowledge or technical explanation
Young children who need lots of illustrations to get into a story
Teenage readers who prefer contemporary fast-paced narratives

Reading tips

Read through once to feel the humorous tone, then go through it a second time to sort out unfamiliar old-fashioned expressions.
Compare the book's descriptions of cars with today's cars and make a short reading note.
Use it as short bedtime reading, a small section at a time, without trying to finish it in one sitting.
English learners can pick a few passages to read aloud and record, checking pronunciation and phrasing against the original.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What does "Dumpy" in the title mean?

In English, "dumpy" often describes something short, stout and stocky; here it refers to the short, stout little car in the book. It is not a technical term for a car model but an affectionate, teasing nickname, and understanding this helps capture the book's light, humorous tone.

Is there a Chinese translation of this book?

What is commonly available is the English public-domain electronic edition from Project Gutenberg; Chinese translations are not widespread. If English reading is difficult, a dictionary or translation tool can help, but it is best to try the original first in order to experience its language rhythm and humor.

Is it suitable as a car science book for children?

Not really. It is a work of literature rather than popular science, centered on imagination and humor, and does not systematically explain car structure or driving knowledge. If a child is interested in cars themselves, pair it with real illustrated car books; this book can serve as a fun supplement, not a source of knowledge.

Comments

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About the author

Thomas William Hodgson Crosland Author · British · 1865–1924

Thomas William Hodgson Crosland (1865–1924) was a British writer, poet and journalist, born in Leeds. He wrote reviews and essays for London periodicals such as The Outlook and The Academy, in a witty and often satirical style. His works cover a wide range of subjects: light essays and a children's alphabet book, as in The Old Man's Bag and Little People: An Alphabet, as well as satires on national character such as The Egregious English, The Unspeakable Scot, The Wild Irishman and The Abounding American; he also published Outlook Odes and The Motor Car Dumpy Book. Eight of his works are held in this collection, usually classified under inspirational and personal growth. Public information on his early education and professional career is limited. He was on close terms with Lord Alfred Douglas, a friend of Oscar Wilde.