Go Girls Go!
S&S Beach Lane Books | Written by Frances Gilbert | Hardcover Format | Fall 2019
Come along for a rollicking ride in this picture book celebration of vehicles that puts girls in the driver’s seat! Girls can race…and girls can fly. Girls can rocket way up high! Piloting fire trucks, trains, tractors, and more, the girls in this book are on the go! Join them for an exuberant journey that celebrates how girls can do—and drive—anything.
In this energetic and active book, there are three parts to each refrain and three characters introduced at a time. For the first part, I created space for each girl and her vehicle to showcase their work together. Utilizing unique layouts, the book reads like a graphic novel or comic book but without typical scene frames. Monochromatic background colors let each character stand out, while still feeling being a part of a full scene.
Fun sound effects followed the introduction of each set of girls/vehicles. I took the opportunity to develop playful text that was an interactive part of the scene. This spread also showcased each woman close-up since the previous scene required enough space for their vehicles, rendering them relatively small on the page.
Once the set of girls had been introduced, and the sound effects delivered, there was a spread featuring the refrain “Go, Girls, Go!” On these spreads, I brought the women together to help each one another on various tasks for their work. This created an additional narrative separate from the manuscript and showcased cooperation and teamwork among these diverse characters.
“The illustrations feature bright primary colors, block shapes, patterns, stars, and large, clear fonts that will appeal to young audiences. A hit for girls who identify strongly with girlhood and love things that go.” (Kirkus August 2019)
“Girls drive, push, and propel through the book, with a dynamic layout dividing the pages into horizontal streaks of movement, followed by pages giving shout-outs in huge, bright letters to the noise each girl makes…and culminating with a chorus of “GO, GIRLS, GO!” Active verbs abound, the rhyming text is propulsive, and Black’s illustrations are blasting with color and movement….” (Booklist October 2019)
Amazon Pick of the Month: Ages 3-5, November 2019