Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book1964

82%

WISE Score

4.6

Amazon

James Bond for the juice-box crowd, featuring a car that’s basically a Swiss Army knife on wheels.

Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang

book

1964

82%

WISE Score

4.6

Amazon

James Bond for the juice-box crowd, featuring a car that’s basically a Swiss Army knife on wheels.

4.6

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Screenwise Verdict

Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang is a charming relic that actually holds up. It’s not 'brain rot' and it’s not a marketing tie-in for a toy line; it’s just a solid, slightly weird adventure story.

Parents should know it feels a bit 'old school'—think more 'classic library book' and less 'graphic novel.' But if you can get past the 1964 pacing, the payoff is a story about a family that actually likes each other and a car that is cooler than anything Tesla has put out yet. It’s a great way to introduce your kids to the idea of a 'thriller' without the nightmare fuel of modern adult media.

Age Fit

Perfect for ages 6 to 10. It’s a top-tier read-aloud for 1st and 2nd graders, while 3rd and 4th graders will enjoy tackling Fleming's 'fancy' vocabulary on their own.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

It centers on a strong, quirky family bond and the idea of breathing life into something 'broken.' It’s refreshing to see a story where the dad is an eccentric inventor rather than a bumbling sitcom trope.

Imaginative

The concept of a sentient, multi-functional car is the gold standard for childhood wonder. It encourages kids to see the 'magic' in engineering and tinkering.

Safe

Very safe. There is some 'peril' with 1960s-era gangsters and explosions, but it’s handled with a whimsical touch. No modern 'toxicity' or hidden agendas here.

Enriching

Ian Fleming’s prose is surprisingly sophisticated. It’s a great vocabulary builder for kids who are used to the simplified language of modern 'early readers.'

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

The car is the ultimate gadget, which still hits home for kids who love LEGOs or Minecraft.
It’s written by Ian Fleming (the 007 guy), so the action has a genuine 'adventure' feel that isn't just fluff.
The chapters are short and punchy, making it a perfect 'one more chapter' bedtime read-aloud.
It promotes the idea of 'making do and mending'—turning a pile of junk into a masterpiece.

⚠

What to Watch For

The pacing is 1960s British. It takes a second to get moving, unlike modern books that start with an explosion on page one.
The villains are actual gangsters. While not 'scary' in a horror sense, they do use dynamite and threats that might worry very sensitive kids.
The 'Child Catcher' from the famous movie isn't in this book—so if your kid is expecting the movie plot, they might be confused.

Conversation Starters

"If our family car could transform into one thing (a plane, a boat, a giant toaster), what would you pick?"
"The Potts family fixed up an old car instead of buying a new one. Why is it sometimes better to fix things?"
"Which of the car's 'moods' was your favorite? Do you think machines can actually have feelings?"
"If you were an inventor like Caractacus Potts, what's the first problem you'd try to solve?"

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