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Connor

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Connor Mullin

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in the race car

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Dear Connor, Congratulations on your 5th birthday.

Have a wonderful day and lots of fun with this book.

Daddy & Mummy

Personal edition for Connor Mullin Original publication © Uitgeverij Kluitman Alkmaar B.V. © 2015 text: Fiona Rempt © 2015 illustrations: Natascha Stenvert © 2015 translation: Fiona Rempt Cover design: Petra Gerritsen Layout: Marieke Brakkee All rights have been reserved, including the right of reproduction in any form.

Order: www.yoursurprise.com Print: Arsprintmedia, Roermond kluitman.nl

Connor r o n Con

r o n Con Fiona Rempt & Natascha Stenvert

VROOM-VROOM-VROOM. Connor is playing with his car.

‘Do you wanna play?’ he asks, but daddy isn’t listening. He is watching the racing cars on the television.

Connor picks his fastest cars and places them at the start of his race track. ‘Dad, can you do the countdown for the race?’

4

‘3… 2… 1…!’ daddy calls out, without taking his eyes of the screen.

Connor pushes the buttons and the cars jump out of their starting blocks.

The yellow racing car finishes first. He wins.

‘Hurray for Connor the racer,’ Connor cheers.

Daddy is still watching television. He beckons Connor to come and sit next to him. ‘The big race is about to begin. You have to see this,’ he says. ‘Auto racing is one of the most exciting sports.’

‘Why don’t you have a race car?’ Connor asks.

Daddy laughs. ‘They are so fast that they’re not allowed on the streets.

A race car can go up to 200 miles an hour. That’s why they race on a special track, a circuit.’

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‘Well, why don’t you join in the competition?’

Daddy shakes his head. ‘Race cars also have special drivers.

It takes years of training to become one.’

The camera zooms in on a man who’s wearing a helmet. He has a shiny suit on, with gloves and boots. All in the same bright green color.

‘That is Luis Hammer,’ daddy says. ‘He’s the fastest racing car driver in the world.’

7

The race cars gather at the start. They line up with their engines roaring.

The drivers are waiting for all the red lights to jump to green.

And they’re off! The cars go so fast that it seems as if they’re launched like rockets. Connor can’t focus his eyes on them anymore. It makes him a little dizzy.

‘The race lasts sixty laps,’ daddy says.

That may take a while, Connor thinks.

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When Connor opens his eyes again he is sitting in a bright green race car. He is speeding over the circuit. Carefully he looks over his shoulder.

I think I’m in the front, he thinks, but there is no time to be surprised. A sharp curve is coming and Connor turns the steering wheel.

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Connor races past the main stage.

A man has climbed onto it and is taking the Big Golden Cup. ‘Stop him!’ Connor calls out, but his voice cannot rise above the roar of the engine.

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Connor

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The thief gets in a car and takes off. Nobody notices, because everybody is looking the other way, to watch the race. Everyone, except for Connor… He steers off the track to chase the black car, but the crook has closed the gate.

Now what? Connor can’t get out of the stadium.

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He hits the throttle and drives straight at the stand. The photographers’ booth has a sloped roof. Connor aims for it and uses it as a ramp. With his racing car he jumps over the audience and flies right out of the stadium.

He is just in time to see the fleeing car going around the corner.

Connor chases after him.

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The thief sees his follower coming and thinks he can loose him on the narrow bridge. The race car of Connor is too wide to cross it.

Instead of braking, Connor hits the gas pedal.

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He jerks the steering wheel

he’s driving on two wheels.

Connor

to one side. Now

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Like an acrobat he

Connor

and pulls the car

balances his car on bridge.

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the railing of the

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Connor

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The road on the other side is wider.

Now Connor can race again. He is much faster than the thief. He even overtakes him.

He hits the brakes, skids to a stop and blocks the street with his racing car.

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The crook is looking back to see whether he can escape in that direction, but he is too late. The police cars are already there, with their sirens wailing and lights flashing.

Connor

The thief surrenders and the policeman hands the golden cup over to Connor, who races back to the stadium to take it back.

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The quickest way is across the parking area, but there are long rows of parked cars in the way.

Connor goes as fast as he can and steers straight at a sandy hill. He jumps over the whole parking lot!

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The race car lands spinning on one wheel.

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ENTRANCE

The gate is open again. Connor drives on to the circuit and hears the crowd roar.

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It startles him and he loses control of the race car.

He crashes hard into a pile of tires!

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Connor rubs his head. Ouch!

That’s strange, he thinks. My helmet is gone.

I must have lost it in the crash.

Then he notices that he’s sitting on the couch.

The race is finished. Daddy is cheering.

‘Our favorite won. How exciting was that!?’

25

Connor yawns. ‘Very exciting!

Did you see my chase?

I saved the Big Cup!’

Daddy winks at Connor. ‘Silly me.

I was looking the other way, while my own little driver was doing his best race ever. You were probably just as cool as Luis Hammer.’

‘Much cooler,’ Connor brags. ‘If I hadn’t followed that crook, I could have easily won the race.’

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Daddy chuckles. He puts the toy cars on the track.

‘Want to do another lap?’

‘No, I’ve done enough racing for now,’ Connor answers. ‘I am going outside to play.’

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*111111111* 111111111/matchcode

Connor Connor is playing with his cars. He asks daddy to join him, but his father prefers to watch the Formula 1 on the television. The race cars are so fast! It makes Connor a little dizzy. He closes his eyes.

Suddenly Connor is racing on the circuit.

He sees a thief stealing the Big Cup. He follows him in his super fast race car. In an exciting chase Connor proves that he isn’t just the best race car driver, but also the bravest.

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