Cars Go

Vehicles, Go!

by Steve Light

Little ones will enjoy revving up their reading with these eight noisy cars as they honk, clank, vroom, and zoom their way through this lively book! The sturdy pages feature a police car, pick-up truck, sports car, monster truck, and many more, accompanied by a cacophony of sounds sure to charm any young vehicle enthusiast.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Transport, Storytime

16 pages, Board Book

First published March 29, 2016

About the author

Steve Light grew up in an enchanted place known as New Jersey. He went on to study Illustration at Pratt Institute, he also studied with Dave Passalacqua. Upon graduating he did some corporate illustrations for companies such as: AT&T, Sony Films, and the New York Times Book Review. Steve Light then went on to design buttons that were acquired by the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum. He has since published several children’s books with various publishers. He has read and told stories all over including The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and The Milwaukee Museum of Art.

Steve loves to draw. He draws everyday whether it is drawing in his sketchbook or on fancy paper for an illustration. Steve loves fountain pens and collects these ancient artifacts in order to draw with them. He also loves making things. Steve usually makes things like sculptures and toys out of wood. Steve loves sharing his art and stories with children.

Reviews

[Lauren Salisbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

My baby LOVES this book. He laughed so hard he spit up. If that isn't a ringing endorsement I'm not sure what is.

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another title in Light's transportation series, but ah we purists who live in fly over country would never combine cars and trucks in a title "Cars Go". Sorry Mr. Light but I think you could have found enough cars for the title without the edition of a pickup truck and a monster truck.

[Matthew Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to give this 4 stars only because of the dystopian future my 19 month-old apparently finds on the final page. Spoiler alert: after several pages of various cars and trucks making car and truck sounds (driven by people), the denouement of the series is a sleek, self-driving car asking "where you'd like to go today". My son, after spending a solid 3 minutes pretending daddy is driving mama in a taxi and a monster truck is jumping amazing piles of dirt, is disturbed by the cold lack of humanity presented by the "car of the future". I'm prepared to accept that my performance of the car's voice is a contributing factor to his malaise, but I suspect there is more here. Ultimately, it is the awkward juxtaposition of engine sounds with the final spoken word that is uncanny. It must be like reading a book about various interesting people and then finally encountering a robot that is programmed to be a father but yet is just a talking lawn mower. I sympathize with his refusal to engage with the "car of the future", even though I am fascinated with it. After all, the taxi, the jalopy, the monster truck, the police car, the race car... none of these vehicles demand to know where you are going. As the title states: Cars. Go. The "car of the future" does not "Go". It only asks where you would 'like' to go, but does not actually take you there.

[Drew Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cars make all kinds of sounds, and they're as much fun to listen to as they are to say.

We really love Steve Light's Planes Go, so finding this at the library was great. An unusual shape and format make these books stand out, the colorful illustrations have lots of movement and interest, and of course the articulated sounds are great. I'd love to check out the rest in the series.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

June 2017 - we loved these books when Ben was younger, and I think Trains Go might still be my favorite. Ben picked this one out himself and read through it on his own, making up sounds for each car. Perfect for toddlers.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A board book featuring sounds that various vehicles make.

Adults will probably have to explain what a jalopy is, but that won't diminish the fun. Be prepared to make some great sounds while reading this as the main point is the onomatopoeia (you may even want to do a practice read). Hand this to kids who love vehicles and making interesting noises.

[Ginelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super short and easy book about the different sounds that cars make.

This is a fun book for kids who are really into vehicles. But it’s also pretty short-lived, you don’t need the book to make the different car sounds, and the pictures aren’t detailed enough to really captivate.

[Terry]

My son loved Cars Go! He wanted to look through it immediately on his own after we read it together. This is easy for little hands to hold and lots of fun.

[kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice oversized length, great sounds

[Brian Powell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Steve Light has managed to deliver an even messier turd than "Diggers Go" with his latest miserable work. I'd say it took the author, ohh, maybe 10 minutes to put this cadaver's anus together: the drawings look like shit and most of the words don't even have vowels in them. Try reading the following sentence to your toddler and not sounding like a total asshole: "Tssskkkkk grrmmmmmmm phblv". (This isn't an actual quote from the book, but it's statistically indistinguishable). Don't do this to your child. Don't do this to yourself. Don't let Steve Light make you look and sound like a dickhead.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This board book presents different types of cars accompanied by automobile onomatopoeia.

The final panel contains a phrase rather than a represented sound.

The illustrations were done in watercolor, depicting stylized automobiles loosely drawn against negative space.

This book features a jalopy. The term "old jalopy" still occasionally gets thrown around in everyday American speech. I had always thought it was a reference to older model of car that is no longer in production. But when I looked it up out of curiosity to see how it matched with the illustration, I learned that a "jalopy" or "old jalopy" is an old dilapidated car or an old car in poor condition.

[Kady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun mouth noises abound! Short, but enthralling for Emmy.

[Joseph · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible art work, where even my sons said what is that, that is not a car.

No thanks.

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Least favorite of the series so far

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son loved this book! He even tried to imitate the sounds after I made them.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Experience different kinds of cars and the sounds that they make. What fun!

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A winner for two year old boys

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 9 month old loved this book and would giggle at all the sounds

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Turns out I am not as adept at making car noises as I am at making airplane noises. Still cute.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short, simple book for preschoolers. It tells the sounds made by various kinds of cars.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

With its sturdy board book format and lively watercolor illustrations, this book features eight different cars that can really move. It would be best not to share it before bedtime since the wonderful onomatopoeia littered across the pages simply call out for reader responses. Unless a caregiver wants to suspend bedtime in favor of much rambunctiousness, it might be better to start the day with this book rather than ending with it. For its intended young audience, it's just about irresistible with the sounds of various cars, including a police car, a jalopy, a hot rod, and a futuristic car, among others, being featured on its pages.

[Kid Lit Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little boys in the car stage—which lasts a lifetime—will go crazy for this book. Cars Go is a thick board book of an unusual size. When open, Cars Go is two feet—2 FEET!—of colorful, noisy vehicles, busy driving down nearby streets. Can you hear them?

“WHEEOW, WHEEOW!” rings out the siren on the police car, chasing the villain through busy streets.
A taxi wizzes by, with its passenger holding . . .

Originally Published at Kid Lit Reviews; To Read the Full Review and View Interior Art, Go To: http://bit.ly/CarsGo

[Carol V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read to my 21 mos. old grandson! He loves this book! What little guy wouldn't! He has so much to learn about cars, trucks, and other moving vehicles! This book gives him lots to ponder and get excited about. Love this BOARD book that he can handle easily!

[Lynn Plourde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Light's vehicle board books--great for little hands and little ears as grown-ups make all those silly vehicle sounds--WHEEOW, BRIPPITY, BRUMP!

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun book!!! Full of onomatopoeias!!

[Caity · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book to read aloud to any fans of cars. The different illustrations and car sounds are super fun and cute.