Things That Go

by Anne Rockwell

Presents a look at all kinds of things that go--from motorcycles and sleds to tractors, swings and carousels

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books

Hardcover

First published September 2, 1986

Reviews

[Luisa Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here's a fun book that your kids can "read" to themselves.

Ages: 3 - 6

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[Vincent Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Things That Go" by Anne Rockwell is a story about all of the items that are used in different environments. Firstly, the story opens with some of the machines that go on roadways. For example, some of these items include tractor trailers, police cars, tow trucks, campers, motorcycles and station wagons. After that, things that go on the water are discussed. A few of these items are tugboats, surfboards, motorboats, canoes, and inner tubes. The remainder of the story continues this way. Basically, different scenarios are listed and the corresponding items that relate to the example are listed. More specifically, a few other scenarios that are mentioned include things that go on snow, in the city, in the country, to work, in the park, and in the yard. Lastly, the story concludes with the narrator saying, "I like things that go."

In this story, the first thing that catches my eye are the six mini pictures that are illustrated on each page. For example, on the page “things that go to work”, the left side of the page has six mini boxes that each highlight a different piece of machinery that goes or moves at a workplace. This layout is unique because each piece of machinery is illustrated in a 3” x 3” square outlined by a thin, black border. Since the book is informing young readers about many different objects they have probably never seen or heard of before, these mini illustrations are important so children get a visual of the object. Therefore, this will help the children remember what the object looks like. However, something I found unusual throughout the story is that there are no humans, and only animals are present driving or operating these devices. I am sort of surprised by this because only humans can drive motorized vehicles whereas animals cannot. I am sort of unsure why the illustrator did this, but it most likely is done to add to the fun of the story.

In my opinion, I think this is a great book for all kids because it is very educational. Specifically, I believe little boys would enjoy it the most because it involves a lot of vehicles and machinery, and these topics are things that young boys love to discuss with their dads. I remember when I was a child that I loved these kind of stories because I was obsessed with machinery and work equipment. In continuation, this story is still good for young girls as well because it familiarizes children with items they encounter in their everyday life such as cars, boats, airplanes, trains, and tractors. With this being said, the story is set up conveniently for children to read. For example, on the top of the page there is a sentence informing readers what the page will cover. Below that, there are pictures of the items related to the topic and a short description corresponding with each illustration. For these reasons, the interplay between the text and the illustrations is very strong. This aspect makes the book an excellent choice for inexperienced and beginning readers.