Disney Cars Read Along Storybook | A Place To Call Home

Cars. A place to call home. Lightning McQueen, a hotshot rookie race car, had just finished the most important race of his career. He hadn't come in first, but he had proven he was a car to watch. Now, he was driving back to his new home in Radiator Springs with his friends. They had all gone to California to cheer him on. Sheriff pulled up alongside Lightning as they drove. We're mighty glad you've decided to stay in Radiator Springs, he said. Me too, Lightning said. I just don't want to spend any more time with Bessie, he joked. Bessie was a paving machine that Lightning had worked with to repave a portion of the local road he'd torn up. Sheriff laughed. Then he said, Bessie is an important member of town too. Why, without her, our streets would still be dirt. Mater pulled up ahead of the other cars. You can't turn as easy on dirt, he said as he drove in the shape of an eight. And forget about driving backward. I'm sure glad these roads are so smooth. Wow, Lightning said. I didn't know Bessie had been here that long. Son, there's a lot you don't know about this town, Sheriff said. He began to tell Lightning about it. A car named Stanley had been the first to cruise into the area. He decided to name the town Radiator Springs. When Lizzie rolled in years later, Stanley fell in love and asked her to stay and sell bumper stickers in a curio shop. At first, Lizzie's shop was just a tent at the side of the road. As new cars began to settle in town, Lizzie and Stanley helped them open their own stores. Lizzie even moved into a building in the center of town. It seemed that just about every car that traveled that way stopped in Radiator Springs. The cars opened a tire shop, a paint shop, and a cafe, among many other stores. Anything a car wanted could be found in the friendly little town. Then Sheriff explained how a wealthy and important car from Las Vegas had opened the Wheelwell Motel. That was some fancy motel, Sheriff said. We even had the governor come spend the night. That's when we knew we were a proper town. Lightning knew about the old motel. Sally had brought him up there to see the valley when he'd first come to Radiator Springs. He knew she'd loved the old building. As Sheriff continued to describe the town, Lightning wished he could have been there to see it then. Radiator Springs was the best stop on the Mother Road, Sheriff said. And you were here in town then? Lightning asked. You bet, Sheriff exclaimed. With the town growing, I was hired to keep the riffraff under control. I hired Red, too, Sheriff continued. He glanced at the shy fire engine at the edge of the crowd of cars. I knew we needed a firefighter, and Red's about the most helpful truck I know. The fire engine, who had been listening, blushed. Sheriff chuckled. Took some folks a while to realize that even though Red is so shy, he'll always be there when you need him. Mater rolled into town next, Sheriff continued. That's right, the tow truck interrupted. I was towing this car who'd blown a gasket, and we heard there was a doctor here in town. The cars turned to look at Doc Hudson. He sighed, then said, After my racing days were over, I'd been looking for a town where I could slow down. Couldn't imagine a better place than here. he finished with a small smile. Lightning listened eagerly as the other cars told their stories. He knew Sally, the shiny blue sports car, had been a lawyer in California. But he had never heard about Luigi's and Guido's boat ride all the way from Italy. Flo had been a famous show car. She came to Radiator Springs while the Motorama girls were traveling to their next show. She decided to stay in town after she met Ramone. They've been cruising low and slow ever since. Wow, Lightning said once everyone had told their stories. The cars had made it back to town and were at Flo's V8 Cafe. After the long trip, they were ready for a sip of oil. It's great that so many cars stopped here along the way and decided to stay. The cars looked at one another. See, Sally finally said. Radiator Springs still is the stop on the Mother Road. She smiled. The town just wouldn't be the same if we all hadn't ended up here. Mater grinned. I'm sure glad I stayed here. Where would I have opened Tow-Maters if I hadn't? Lizzie drove over to welcome everyone back home. It was so quiet here without you. I started to think I'd have to find new cars to resettle in this town. Course not, Doc replied. We took the long road home is all. But it's good to be back. That night, the cars all gathered in town. They thought about going to a drive-in movie or cruising the streets to enjoy the neon lights. But instead, they parked in front of Casa de la Tires and told more stories about their lives before they rolled into town. Lightning smiled as he listened to his friends tell their tales. He was glad he'd found his way to Radiator Springs. He couldn't think of a better place to call home. The End