Go! Go! Go! Stop! - Hardcover

CHARISE MERICLE HARPER has written and illustrated numerous children's books, including Pink Me Up!; Cupcake; When Randolph Turned Rotten; and the Bean Dog and Nugget series. She lives in Mamaroneck, New York, with her husband and their two children. Charise loves creating art and stories, petting her cat, drinking coffee, and eating pie.

PreS-K—Little Green, so named because he is a little green ball, knows one word, and he is excited to share it. "Go!" he yells as he bounces into the town's construction site. Hearing the cries, the bulldozer wakes up first, and soon the cement mixer, the hauler, the tow truck, and all the other heavy equipment are up and working on a new bridge. The more Little Green shouts, the faster everyone moves. But too much "Go, go, go!" is not a good thing. The trucks are now working too fast to do their jobs properly. Just then, in rolls Little Red, who yells "Stop!" The momentary pause allows everyone to reorganize, but since Little Red and Little Green are exact opposites, confusion still reigns. After much trial and error, they find the perfect blend of "Stop" and "Go" to finish the bridge on time. Everyone is happy, and then Little Yellow comes to town. His message is "Slow down," which are the "perfect words for a busy bridge." The town will surely live happily ever after. The artwork is a mixture of collage and digitally rendered cartoons; the colorful equipment is anthropomorphized and drawn in a childlike hand. The plot is rather simple, but young construction enthusiasts will likely take to the bright illustrations.—Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA