Cars 3: "Lead the Way" Book Review

Lead the Way, written by Ace Landers, was the very first Cars 3 inspired book to be released. It officially arrived just last month (April 4) on Amazon and wherever Disney·Pixar books are sold. The version I have here is a Barnes & Noble exclusive which features four tear out inspirational cards in the back! This is a gorgeous hardcover book with uniquely beautiful sketch style illustrations and life lessons anyone of any age can take away. 

What makes the art in this book special (other than the style itself) is that it was illustrated by Pixar's very own sketch artist Garrett Taylor (who began his work at Pixar in 2010 as an intern before being offered a full time position in 2011). Garrett has since worked on many of the studio's feature films, but most recently as a character and environment designer for Cars 3. He's seriously livin' the dream!

This book was first revealed by Garrett himself (March 24) during a YouTube LIVE "How to draw Cruz Ramirez" broadcast on Disney·Pixar's official channel. You can watch the archived video HERE if you missed it.

Here's a peek under the slip cover which showcases more amazing pencil art and shimmery blue text: "Believe the Impossible." 

Ultimately this book celebrates the teachers, mentors and/or anyone who is a guiding light in your life. It's about passing the torch (knowledge, wisdom, skills, etc.) to a new generation— all themes which will be also present in the actual Cars 3 film.

Now let's preview a few of the 40 pages you'll find upon opening...just to give you a flavor of what to expect! Don't worry, what I'm about to show won't have any spoilers (in fact, the whole book is virtually spoiler free)— however if you're avoiding anything and everything about Cars 3 for now, you might want to check the rest out next month after you've seen the film.

Here are a couple of the exclusive collectible cards found at the end of the book.

If I could compare this to any recent Pixar book, it's very reminiscent of the Finding Dory inspired Three Little Words. If you liked that one, you'll for sure enjoy Lead the Way as both are inspirational and elegantly illustrated. I love it!

Pick this up at your local Barnes & Noble soon (visit their online store HERE for a special price) or purchase the standard edition on Amazon using the direct link below.