Review by Booklist Review
Watkins turns his zany energy up to 11 in this tale of bedtime mayhem. Deploying his squat art style, he zooms in on three cube-shaped, shifty-eyed kids tucked into bed as they announce that they're Go-Go Guys, whose restless brains never sleep. Instead, they GO! Bouncing from under the covers, they decry the practices of counting sheep and stars, wanting instead to be vrooming. And those unenumerated sheep? They helpfully drive in with a wrecking ball that smashes the house and kids into space, where the children cavort on the moon until even it has enough of their antics and sends them home. Watkins opts for panel art in this book, and it cleverly allows him to keep up with the kids' hyperactivity and busy brains. Dynamic scenes tap into the kids' imaginations and make for a rollicking journey among the stars. Aside from the occasional sound effect, the text appears exclusively as speech-bubble dialogue, and its simple, repetitive, and playful nature will entertain prereaders in addition to serving those beginning to read on their own. This wild read certainly won't soothe little ones to sleep, but they'll have a blast go-go-going with these irrepressible tots.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This latest from the impish imagination of Watkins (Tiny Cedric) stars a trio of Weeble-esque kids portrayed with various skin tones, gaping mouths, and close-set eyes that are determined not to blink. They share a bed, a resistance to sleep, and "Go-Go brains" that "GO...// BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!" Together, they emphatically express an earnest desire: "We're tired of counting/ sheep... and stars.// We want to race around/ in cars!" Soon liberated by a gang of sheep who helpfully smash their house to bits (one entire, bright orange spread is devoted to the wrecking ball's "KABOOM"), the guys ingeniously fashion a rocket ship from the floating debris and point it toward the moon. Commandeering goofy lunar roving vehicles, they engage in "BEEP! BEEP! Booping!// Smashing! Bashing! Loop-de-looping!" until the vexed and tired moon tells the zoomers to "STOP VROOMING!" and "BLAST OFF TO BED!" Which they do... for a few pages, anyway. With so much visual energy and off-kilter beauty on offer, readers may find their hearts beating faster--every spread exudes a no-grown-ups-in-sight sense of mischief and a magnificent feeling of energetic certitude. Ages 6--9. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. (Sept.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1--2--Three mischievous, rambunctious, and utterly outrageous little ones lay in bed and declare that they are the "Go-Go Guys" with Go-Go and that they never sleep. They aren't interested in counting sheep and would rather race around in cars or even UFOs; since this isn't possible from their bedroom, they need to escape. Fortunately, a huge wrecking ball (driven by the sheep they aren't interested in counting) comes crashing down on their home and sends them into outer space. The Go-Go guys are elated! They end up on the moon and drive around on various and colorful contraptions. All is wonderful until the moon itself commands them to stop and orders them to blast back to bed. The Go-Go guys return home but promise that next time they are going to Mars. A zany sense of humor permeates this book, giving the cast wonderful energy and spirit. The panel format offers a comic-book vibe that will appeal to young readers. The rhyming text, sound effects, and delightful illustrations make this a shoe-in for a high-octane story hour. VERDICT Highly recommended for purchase.--Amy Nolan
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
The Go-Go Guys, three egg-shaped youngsters, "NEVER sleep!" and have brains that go "BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!" While they're tucked into bed reflecting on more appealing activities than going to sleep (such as driving cars, bulldozers, and UFOs), their imaginations seemingly manifest into reality, resulting in a wrecking ball smashing their tiny house and setting off a wild ride to the moon and back. The energetic rhymes, lively illustrations, and subtle storytelling details take center stage. Told primarily through dialogue, with an occasional sound effect interlude ("VROOM VROOM VROOM"), the absurd rhyming text bounces between word balloons and across page-turns with surprising fluidity. The comics format never grows stale, constantly shifting from fast-paced multi-panel layouts to powerful double-page spreads ("KABOOM"). Watkins's fantastical illustrations, in a muted retro palette, appear hand-drawn and organic. A wobbly, pencil-like line frames nearly everything from characters to panel borders. The brisk rhymes will pull readers quickly though this bedtime romp. Watkins has delivered a dose of playful chaos that will most certainly connect with young readers who also "aren't wired for sleep." Patrick GallSeptember/October 2023 p.63 (c) Copyright 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
Be careful when you count those sheep. You don't know what they might have in store. In rhyming text, three diverse children make clear from the start that, "We're Go-Go Guys. / We NEVER sleep! Our Go-Go brains… / GO… // BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!" Not content to stay in bed, the kids are freed from their room by the very sheep they've avoided counting. The house, in turn, reconstructs itself into a rocket ship, destined for the moon. But once they're there, they'll have to deal with the cranky heavenly body itself, who in turn urges them back to bed. Barely tamed chaos is the name of the game here, the text tapping into kids' natural inclinations to avoid sleep at all costs. Happily, one of the book's finer features is its read-aloud potential, since the rhymes perform with perfect scansion. Meanwhile, though prone to extreme goofiness, the art is not above the occasional breathtaking display, as when a turn of a page reveals a two-page spread featuring a massive, mighty moon. Vacillating between goofiness and splendor, the wordless visual gags just add to the fun (example: the quietly irate Mars at the end is a delight). (This book was reviewed digitally.) Fans of insomnia? Rejoice! Sleepy parents? Beware. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
