Faster! Faster!

Leslie Patricelli Board Books

by Leslie Patricelli

Hang on tight for more comic joy in this companion to the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor winner Higher! Higher!

A day at the park. A ride on Daddy's back. Run, Daddy! Faster! Faster! How fast can Daddy go? Faster than a dog? A horse? How about a cheetah? Must his feet even touch the ground? Leslie Patricelli reprises the duo from Higher! Higher! in another humorous riff on a favorite pastime — a laugh-out-loud-funny tale of few words about doting dads and high-energy kids whose imaginations know no bounds.

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Animals, Childrens, Family, Juvenile, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published April 10, 2012

About the author

Leslie Patricelli is the American writer and illustrator of the best selling line of toddler books, starring her inimitable Baby character, including Potty, Toot, Yummy Yucky, Big Little, and Hair. She has more than 30 books for children, including her preschool books, Higher! Higher! (a Boston Globe Book Honor Award winner), Be Quiet, Mike!, Faster! Faster! and The Patterson Puppies and the Midnight Monster Party; as well as a middle-grade novel, The Rizzlerunk Club: Best Buds Under Frogs, published in 2018. Leslie Patricelli grew up in Issaquah, Washington close to Pine Lake. Leslie Patricelli majored in Communications at the University of Washington and took classes at the School of Visual Concepts in Seattle. Leslie Patricelli created and animated Rover the Dog for Windows XP help installed on more than 60 million computers worldwide.

Reviews

[Archit · Rating 5 out of 5]

How wonderful!
A story that depicts the relation between a father and his daughter in the most delightful way. This story is engaging and fun to read. Genius.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prepare for an imaginative romp as Dad morphs to dog morphs to rabbit morphs to ostrich morphs to pony morphs to... There are clues along the way indicating which animal will be next. The animal left behind is also featured (all worn out) as the exchanges take place. The only text on each double-page-spread are "Faster! FASTER!" Children LOVE "reading" the text, when invited to do so. They SO "get it". At last Dad is missed by the (til now) demanding little rider and reappears, quite exhausted.

What dad has not had just this experience? Delightful!

[SamSamSam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Narrative skills, print awareness

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know it's an act of rebellion to give 5 stars to a book that uses just a dozen words, but I just could not believe how cleanly this book distilled one aspect of the parent/child relationship down to a simple concept. It is done with the simplest illustrations, featuring big oval heads and two-color outfits, and a clever conceptual transition with each page. By the end, it is a delight to see how simply the whole scenario has been represented by the various animals and scenes. As a parent, particularly one that is considered a "super playmate" by my children, I have had that expression on my face many times. Brilliant!

[Kate McGinty aka Caryn Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

While visiting the park one day, a little girl climbs up on her father's back and challenges him to go "Faster! Faster!" How fast can daddy crawl with her riding along? As fast as a dog? An ostrich? A cheetah? This cute picture book has many nice touches, including foreshadowing to the next animal and a tired-daddy illustration toward the end that's sure to make children laugh. A nice follow-up to Higher! Higher!

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great tool for narrative storytelling and asking young kids "what do you think will happen next?" Good for an all-ages storytime: simple pictures and just two words to repeat but enough sophistication to keep preschoolers engaged as well.

[Darinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little girl and her dad are playing at the park, and the dad is giving the girl piggyback rides. The girl's imagination runs wild as she yells "Faster! Faster!" and pretends her dad is various animals.

Vibrant illustrations in a cute picture book about a child's imagination.

[Courtney Baird · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I would use for very ypoung readers since there are very few words and they will easily be able to read through the book. Some students may need some help but this is a great story to show childrens imaginations.

[❂ Ann ❂ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patricelli's sequel to highervand higher is just as delightful. A girl embarks on an adventure starting by riding on the back of her dad, faster and faster. Dog, bunn horse, cheetah. The eagle soars and dips, yet she cries " faster and faster.

[Vilma Diaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with many of the Patricelli books, there aren't a lot of words. The story is mostly portrayed through the pictures. Its a funny story, and the art is cute. I've mostly read the books with the baby as the protagonist, so it was nice to see a story centered around their older sister.

[Hallie Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun one for storytime friends of all ages!

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read and cute story.

[Angela Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Patricelli book but it’s still cute. And I always love the illustrations as well in her books.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun story of imagination and family.

[TJ & AJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a simple book, but it's so much fun.

[theBookDaddio · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's simple (more of a picture book than anything else). It's cute. And because I'm a dad that does horsey rides with my toddler, it is relatable as well. Always a fan of Leslie Patricelli's works.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A silly and imaginative book that I think little ones would enjoy. They can follow the clues as to which animal will be next. Bright illustrations.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a lot of variety in the text, but still fun. Colorful, animated illustrations.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A daughter rides her fathers back and encourages to go faster and faster as he turns into different animals. cute clues int he pictures. toddler and up

[Colorado Buck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Play. Father and daughter. Creatures get faster and faster with each page turn. Imagination.

[Andrés · Rating 2 out of 5]

Need to use imagination and logical thinking to understand the plot, though the text is merely repeated throughout.

[Annissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Copyright: 2012 by Leslie Patricelli
Number of Pages: 32
Book Format: Hardcover
Reading level: unknown
Genre: Fiction
Lit Requirement: baby book

Summary: SPOILER
This book is about a child who is playing with her dad, riding piggyback. Each page of the book shows her riding on the back of a different animal and at the end of the book we realize it was all just the child's imagination, she was on her dads back the entire time.

Review:
I give this book by Leslie Patricelli a 2/5 stars because I did not see any huge meaning or anything to this book besides using imagination. I can however seeing a baby enjoy this book because of the illustrations, but each page the words are the same and I felt it to be very repetitive and could lose the child's interest.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great companion to Higher Higher! Lots of great clues for the little ones to think about what's coming next (feathers for the upcoming eagle; tail of the cheetah). And lots of great details for the adults to smile at: The baby from the board books is on the swings with Mom, saying, of course, "Higher! Higher!" as the girl and her daddy get started playing. The end papers lead seamlessly into the title page and story. Love how pooped each animal is after their turn with the girl; love daddy's tie around each animal's neck. Love the paw-print Jolly Roger on the puppy pirate boat. And yes, there's the monkey again--in a submarine this time. Best details though: the exhausted eyes on the sea turtle, the cloud animals on the back endpaper, and the shadows of the clouds on the surface of the ocean...such a small touch, but it really makes you feel how high up you are.

OK, will stop rattling on about this book now. Can't wait to use it in baby storytime!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a girl and her father enjoy a day out in the park, she clamors onto his back for a piggyback ride and urges him to go more rapidly. In the time-honored style of many children longing for speed, she cries out, "Faster! Faster!" (unpaginated). He, in turn, puts on enough speed to represent a bunny, a horse, even a sea turtle, until he flops, exhausted on the sand, having tired himself out in an effort to please his child. The acrylic illustrations show the ever-increasing pace of the father and daugher as they race about the park. This is a sweet tribute to family relationships and the simple joy of time spent together.

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little girl climbs on Daddy's back for a ride. She keeps crying faster as she progress from a dog to a bunny, an emu, a horse, a bird, a dolphin and finally a turtle. The turtle doesn't seem to go fast at all. Finally, the turtle turns back into Daddy and he is worn out from the ride. Children will appreciate the minimal repetitive text, the great illustrations of different animals and may pick up on the fact that the little girl has actually been riding Daddy the whole time and pretending to ride other animals. The book would be appropriate for print awareness.

[Lisa Suchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faster, Faster is a beginning reader picture book in which a little girl is riding on her dad's back at the park with her family. She says faster, faster and the book takes her through different scenery, riding on different animals such as a horse, a turtle, a cheetah, etc. This book contains very little words and repeats "faster, faster". I would recommend for a beginning reader, preschool child or younger, as this book's repetition and colorful illustrations are perfect to be read together with an adult to help instill the love of reading.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Age: Infant - Preschool

"A day at the park. A ride on Daddy's back. Run, Daddy! Faster! Faster! How fast can Daddy go? Faster than a dog? A horse? How about a cheetah? Must his feet even touch the ground? Leslie Patricelli reprises the duo from Higher! Higher! in another humorous riff on a favorite pastime" (goodreads feature review).

Bold, attractive canvas paintings accompany this little girl's imagination. A fun twist at the end.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I didn't like this quite as much as Higher Higher, there's still a lot to love here. The details in the pictures are great, and all of the parents got a kick out of the ending. I'm not sure this was completely successful in baby story time for me, although I think some parents might have discovered the beauty of Leslie Patricelli, so that makes it a win in my book!

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picks up where Higher! Higher! left off- this time with a 'horsey' ride instead of a swing. This title again features a little girl with a big imagination and a nearly indefatigable daddy. I like the layout with each animal featured before she rides, allowing listeners to think ahead and call out animals they recognize. I also really like the cloud shapes on the endpapers.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple, imaginative story about a piggyback ride. The little girl climbs on her father's back and imagines he's different animals. Great illustrations that challenge the reader to predict what animal will come next and that tell more of the story than the words. Perfect for sharing with toddlers and preschoolers.