As with their companion volume in the “Growing Up Stories” series, Hello Benny! (Candlewick Press, 2002), Robie Harris and Michael Emberley have teamed to create an inviting and informative book for young children about young children. In Go! Go! Maria! they turn their attention to one-year-olds. The narrative story follows Maria, a young Latina child who is just learning to walk and talk. Maria delights in mastering new skills, from turning on the TV to walking to learning words (in both English and Spanish). Over the course of the year, her abilities expand to include climbing the stairs and saying her name, as well as many other new skills. As Maria engages in typical one-year-old behavior, informational boxes feature additional text that can be used to explain why one-year-olds behave that way. The book will provide children with younger siblings a wonderful way to learn about their youngest family members. But all children will delight in the opportunity to find out more about themselves when they were Maria’s age. (Ages 3–6)

Children love to hear the stories about what they were like and all the wonderful, amazing, interesting, and funny things they did when they were 1-year-olds. They also have endless questions about the wonderful year they were 1.

Why do 1-year-olds want to talk all the time?

Why do they ask so many questions?

Why do they touch or grab almost everything they can?

Why do they want to open almost everything they can?

Why do most of them still suck their thumbs or fingers?

How do they learn to talk in sentences?

How do they learn to walk up and down stairs -- and run?

Why do they still wear diapers?

What's a "toddler"?

The award-winning team who created "Hello Benny! What It's Like To Be A Baby" has created a second picture book for their series, Growing Up Stories -- books that tell enchanting stories and fascinating facts about the first five years of life.

"Go! Go! Maria!" tells the story of Maria and celebrates her second year of life -- from walking on her own for the very first time to running from room to room, from learning how to say "No!" "Me!" and "Mine!" to asking her big brother Percy "What dat?" to pinching her friend Molly, and to singing her own name on her second birthday. "Go! Go! Maria!" captures the remarkable story of how 1-year-olds "grow up."

Combining a beautifully told story with a myriad of fascinating facts about 1-year-olds, Robie H. Harris and Michael Emberley have created another timeless book for children to enjoy and for families to share together.