Martha Go, Go, Goes Green!

Martha Speaks Readers

by Susan Meddaugh

Wagstaff City’s Go Green Go-Cart Race is one week away, and Martha (the talking dog) and Helen decide to build a solar-powered go-cart. T. D. and Alice build a wind-powered go-cart, and it looks like Ronald and Reginald’s is powered by goldfish—is that even possible? Based on the PBS series Martha Speaks , this 24-page early reader with full-color illustrations is a lighthearted introduction to alternative energy and environmental terms. A natural for Earth Day!

Genres: Picture Books

24 pages, Paperback

First published March 5, 2013

About the author

Susan Meddaugh was born and raised in Montclair, New Jersey. She graduated from Wheaton College, where she studied French literature and fine arts. After working briefly with an advertising agency in New York, she moved to Boston and worked at a publishing company for ten years, first as a designer, then art editor, and finally as art director. While there, she did the illustrations for Good Stones (Houghton Mifflin) by Anne Epstein, and then decided to strike out on her own as a freelance illustrator and creator of children's books. Since that time, Susan has written and illustrated many popular books for children, including Martha Speaks, which was chosen as a New York Times Best Illustrated Book for 1992. In 1998 she was awarded the New England Book Award, given by the New England Booksellers Association to recognize a body of work. Her work also was acknowledged with a New York Times Best Illustrated Award. She lives in Sherborn, Massachusetts. - from HMHBooks.com

Susan Meddaugh, a New England Book Award Winner, adores Halloween and calls it "THE major Holiday" in her household, in part, she says "because it's the only time in the year when you get to be someone else." - from Candlewick.com

Reviews

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

It definitely makes me feel old that I know Martha Speaks from the original book and not the TV show, but this was informative and fun.

[Peacegal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this Martha story about solar and wind- powered go-karts, but it was a bit of a mess.

The characters speak in a rather stilted way when discussing "green" energy, and I think some of it will go over beginning readers' heads. Two boys who I am assuming are the school bullies win the race by deception, when it is discovered they are using a gas-powered vehicle. This seems to "teach" that alternate energy vehicles can't keep up with conventional ones. Also, the brothers put a live fish in a dangerous situation, but this is not discussed in the text.

[Ilib4kids · Rating 5 out of 5]

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