Review by Booklist Review
A little green circle knows only one word Go! And when he gets to a construction site, that Go! sets a lot of things in motion. A bulldozer, dump truck, tow truck, and crane, among others, all get to work building a bridge. But then, with everyone moving so fast, and as Little Green's Go! gets faster, things become stuck and stacked up. It's only when a red circle appears with its one word Stop! that the machines get a rest. It takes a while for Little Red and Little Green to come to a real working relationship, but when they do, things go beautifully, especially once Little Yellow (slow down) adds a useful phrase for the bridge traffic. This is a terrific book for kids to enjoy, learn from, and, yes, think about. Even in their larger world, children will come to the conclusion that life works better when you know when to stop and go (and when to slow down). Harper's lighthearted pictures, with all kinds of personalized shapes and machines, will delight children, who'll find lots to look at in every kinetic spread.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
When Little Green, a smiling circle whose only word is an emphatic "GO," finds his way to a construction site, things get out of hand in this slightly scattered story. Harper (Henry's Heart) draws a crew of cheerful construction vehicles, outlined in crayony black line, with photographic dirt and rubble providing a rugged backdrop as they work to build a bridge. Little Green hops up into the bottom of a skinny rectangle held up by a crane (readers will quickly recognize it as a stoplight in the making), where he proceeds to shout "GO! GO! GO!" Although some muddy chaos results, the action and construction efforts aren't always easy to follow (despite motion lines indicating the trucks' movements), and a couple plot turns don't, well, go anywhere. "I'm going to surprise Dump Truck," says Bulldozer, pushing dirt up a hill, though nothing ever comes of it. Still, Harper (with help from a circle that goes by Little Red) gets across the idea that in a world of go-go-go, some judicious use of "STOP!" can be "just what everyone needed to rest and get organized." Ages 2-5. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Toddler-Harper cleverly uses a busy construction site to introduce action words and traffic signals. The story begins with Little Green, who knows just one word-Go! When he arrives at spot where a new bridge is being built, his rousing shout, "Go! Go! Go!" accelerates the lifting, pulling, mixing, and scooping to the point that things "[get] a little crazy." Little Green doesn't know what to do until Little Red rolls along and brings everything to a screeching halt. With a bit of trial and error, they figure out how to work together and get the job done. Fun mixed-media artwork and personified lights and vehicles guarantee that this title will Go! Go! Go! © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Harper's quirky story stars two traffic lights and a fleet of construction vehicles, all of whom learn the importance of cooperation and teamwork. Little Green bounces ball-like into town, shouts the only word he knows -- "GO!" -- and wakes up some napping trucks. Bulldozer, Dump Truck, Mixer -- "soon everyone wasbusy working on the new bridge." Little Green keeps on "GO, GO, GO"ing, and the hard-working trucks keep on truckin', but without a way to not go, things are soon out of control. Chaos threatens the bridge's construction and the vehicles' good humor. Harper's collagelike illustrations, incorporating photo snippets of dirt and rubble, are hard to resist. Construction enthusiasts, of course, will slow down to rubberneck at her simply rendered drawings of cheerful trucks in colorful cartoonlike scenes, but there's a well-built story here, too, giving this truck book broader appeal. Catastrophe is averted by a red "stranger," who rolls onto the site, assesses the situation, and yells, "STOP!" Still, it takes some hard work by everyone to strike the right balance between going and stopping; a special cameo by Little Yellow provides a nice keystone at the end. With its lively dialogue and action-packed pages, Go! Go! Go! Stop! will go over big at storytime. kitty flynn (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Little Green and Little Red learn the power of two simple words (Go! and Stop!) as they direct a construction site's workflow in this entertaining tale that will leave readers raring for more. A cheerful green ball discovers he can speak: "Go!" Overjoyed, he rolls into town and shouts his only word from the top of a crane, mobilizing construction vehicles to work. They happily tow, dump, scoop and lift to Little Green's repeated "Go!"s. But when there's no end to the going, mayhem ensuesuntil Little Red arrives to yell, "Stop!" After some delightful trial and error, the duo of disks finds a groove. A bridge is built, and Little Yellow arrives just in time to join the other two on the new traffic light. Digital illustrations done in a primitive style effectively introduce basic concepts, such as opposites, traffic symbols and word meaning. The adorable characters, construction setting and primary palette will appeal to the younger set, while beginning readers will proudly help with the recognizable words (in whispers and shouts) as directed by Little Green and Red's cues. A wonderful read-aloud and a lighthearted and lively celebration of action words. (Picture book. 2-5)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
