Another fresh, funny chapter book for newly independent readers from author Atinuke returns to the African village of Oluwalase Babatunde Benson, a.k.a. the No. 1 Car Spotter. His nickname comes from his ability to identify any make and model of car, often by the sound of the engine alone. But it’s his skill as a thinker and problem solver that really make this boy stand out. He may not be very good with a slingshot like his sister and other children in the village, but that doesn’t mean he can’t protect the family’s goats with a little ingenuity—and hot chili pepper soup. (What would be the point of everyone being good at the same thing? his grandfather consoles when No. 1 proves yet again he can’t shoot a stone.) And when Mama Coca-Cola’s new concrete-block house almost becomes her ruin, No. 1 comes up with the perfect solution, one that saves the small business she was too tired to maintain after trying to keep a house with corners clean by day and sweltering under its hot tin roof at night. Atinuke creates warm, distinctive characters and a strong sense of community, as well as plot and setting, with a minimum of words and an abundance of humor. The story is set in an unnamed but specific African country. (Ages 6–9)