Ready, Set, Go! Robert Munsch. Illustrated by Michael Martchenko. Toronto, ON: Scholastic Canada, 2015. 32 pp., pbk., $7.99. ISBN 978-1-4431-4658-6. Preschool grade 1 / Ages 4 6. Review by Nikita Griffioen. *** /4

excerpt:

“Go away, kid,” said the man. “Pipsqueaks don't belong in this race.”

Ready, Set, Go! is the newest work from well loved author Robert Munsch. This book is a successful addition to Munsch's plethora of creative and funny children's books, tapping into his usual style and humour.

     Ready, Set, Go! tells the tale of a young girl, Miranda, who decides to support her race running father by getting him a drink of water when he asks. Only her father had asked her for a sip before the race, and she was late getting it, and so she has to run the race, asking all the while, “'Have you seen my dad? His name is Peter.” Readers follow Miranda as she zooms past polite and rude runners in various costumes. Munsch's prose is engaging and hilarious.

     Michael Martchenko's illustrations are the perfect addition to Munsch's story. The pictures are bright and full of movement, accenting the speed of the race and Miranda's desperation to find her father. When the illustrations are scrutinized closely, fun details are seen, such as on page 8 when the race announcer blows the horn and scatters a group of tiny birds. These additions make reading the story for the second time worthwhile as there is more to see each time.

     Robert Munsch's Ready, Set, Go! will not disappoint fans of his previous books. With his classic style of utilizing repetition and silly words, the story of Miranda and her father's race is sure to be a pleasant reading experience for all ages.

Recommended.

Nikita Griffioen is currently finishing up her degree at British Columbia’s University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford, will go on to teach high school, and hopes to write and illustrate books of her own.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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