GO!

Transportation in its many varied forms is the theme of this song collection with an accompanying CD. The words to the 23 songs are set as illustrated poetry in an oversized format with huge illustrations of children who seem ready to fly, skate, or ride right off the pages. Kirk (Bus Stop, Bus Go, p. 742, etc.) sings most of the songs on the CD, and he wrote most of the words and music for the original songs as well. The collection also includes a few familiar songs set to fresh rhythms (“I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” in a blues arrangement and “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” with a calypso beat). Some of the songs are about traditional types of transportation (trains and taxicabs), others are about methods of personal locomotion (a motorized wheelchair, a pogo stick), and still more songs explore popular trends such as Rollerblades, skateboards, and minivans. Kirk’s vibrant, motion-filled illustrations are done in several styles, including clay sculpture and collage, with intriguing wheel-covered endpapers. Some of the lyrics don’t really stand up as poetry, and a title page and the musical scores for the songs would have been welcome additions, but the catchy songs override these minor objections. Preschool and primary grade teachers will still find this a useful set for the classroom, and the CD (ending with “Sleeping in the Back Seat”) is a natural for long car trips. (Picture book/poetry. 3-8)