Time Travel Tuesday-- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the Race Against Time

Boyce, Frank Cottrell. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the Race Against Time
12 March 2013, Candlewick Press.

Instead of heading home from their last adventure, the Tooting family ends up going back to the Jurassic period, where they almost get eaten by a T. Rex! Barely escaping, they end up in 1920s New York city, where Chitty has taken them so she can reconnect with her first owner, the clueless Count Zborowski who is supposed to compete in the Prix d'Esmerelda's Birthday Cake. The Tootings try to save him from a suspicious woman, Bella Sposa, who wants to marry him and ruin his chances of winning, but they are hurtled back into the 16th century Amazon where they find a city of gold. Nanny and Tiny Jack, the evil villains from the first adventure, make their appearances here, having set up housekeeping in the Tooting's home while the family is being buffetted about in time. Can the Tootings find the Pott family and get Chitty repaired so they can save the universe? Not in this volume, although a sequel Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Over the Moon comes out in September of 2013 and finds the family stuck in 1966, trying to locate the Pott family.
Strengths: Slightly goofy, British, pleasant time travel book that goes to some interesting time periods and captures them well. I like the nods not only to the book but to the movie. The illustrations are quite nice and add a lot. I like the multicultural aspect of the family, which is evident but not discussed. I'm curious to see what will happen when they find the Potts!
Weaknesses: Finally deaccessioned the Ian Fleming original because I could NOT get anyone to check it out. Perhaps this would be more successful in an elementary library.