Review by Booklist Review
Ten personified race cars line up at the speedway, where it's RED LIGHT, YELLOW LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT, GO! Rhymed couplets introduce the cars individually as they take off, passing their competitors or lagging in the rear. And after the race is over, all the cars line up to start again. Full of power and personality, each car has its own color, look, and attitude, created with its eyes (in the windshield area) and mouth (the grill). Referring to the characters as Race car 1, Race car 2, and so on adds a counting element, and having those numbers on their sides makes it easier to keep track. On each broad double-page spread, one car is featured, but others can usually be seen in the background, zipping along or spinning around in a cartoon-style collision. Pithy and full of action words, Dotlich's rhymes briefly comment on the cars, while engaging racetrack dramas unfold in Slack's dynamic digital illustrations. Humorous details include duck mechanics fixing a blown engine with a Band-Aid. A fast-paced, fun counting book.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Ten brightly colored race cars-Formula One racers, a windup toy lookalike, even a souped-up minivan-vie for first place on their way to the finish line. Neither Dotlich (All Aboard!) nor Slack (Elecopter) is a stranger to vehicle-themed stories, and the book's bouncy rhymes and Matchbox-worthy vehicles (spoilers and bulging hot-red engines abound) combine to create a lively race with some tense back-and-forth moments ("Race car 4, all shiny red,/ rumbles, grumbles, pulls ahead"). Sturdy paper stock with rounded corners helps tailor the book to a younger crowd and should hold up to re-readings hinted at by the ending, which sets up a rematch: "All lined up, 10 in a row.../ red light, yellow light, green light... go!" Ages 2-5. Author's agent: Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown. Illustrator's agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-This board book adaptation of the Wacky Races-esque counting book doesn't disappoint. The horizontal format permits Dotlich and Slack to depict full action scenes that are never overwhelming. Kids will root for their favorite souped-up vehicle and delight at the restart of the race at the end of the book, all while secretly strengthening their one to 10 counting skills. © Copyright 2017. 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
Race car 1 honks, Look at me! / He zooms in front with the turn of a key." A zippy rhyming text counts off cars from one to ten; each car has its own personality and style. The bright digitally painted illustrations add drama and action to the race. After "Race car 10" finishes, all the speedsters line up, raring to "GO!" again. (c) Copyright 2016. 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
The flash and thrill of the race car trackit's all here in a zippy counting book just right for the toddler set. "Red light, yellow light, green light, GO!" Spread by spread, the cars enter the track, each one highlighted in numeric order as if by an announcer: "Race car 8 is dynamite / thunders, roars, swerves to the right." The rhyme, plenty of action words, and some onomatopoeia sustain the excitement, while these slightly goofy-looking autos with expressive grilles charge around a course of loop-de-loops and obstacles. Making the most of vertical planes, tense, comical moments during the heat are captured in the bright digital art: racers are splashed, engines burn out (ducks compose the pit crew), and autos pile up (the ducks go flying). Even the clunky, bold type seems to emphasize the funky nature of the circuit and the contestants. Anticipation builds as the competition is called, but this is not about who wins. The race is concluding by the time the last contestant is introducedNo. 10, who "finished last. / Still, his wheels were lightning fast." Groovy. Just like his name. (The final page names all 10, along with some of their interests, such as collecting oil caps or savoring hot peppers.) When the cars line up for another race, children will cheer. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
