Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

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 ensues—until 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)

ALA Booklist (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

A little green circle knows only one word o!" 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 top! at 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.

Horn Book (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Harper's quirky story stars two traffic lights and a fleet of construction vehicles. When Little Green shouts "GO!" Bulldozer, Dump Truck, Mixer, and friends get to work. But without a way to not go, things are soon out of control. A red "stranger" rolls onto the site, and catastrophe is averted--eventually. Construction enthusiasts will slow down for the lively dialogue and action-packed pages.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

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 ensues—until 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)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

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.)

School Library Journal (Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2015)

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 wordGo! 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!