THE FLYERS

An inventive and intriguing approach narrates the Wright brothers’ historic flight on December 17, 2003. Told from one boy’s point of view, he and his friends envision their own flights at Kitty Hawk as they run down the sand dunes holding their coattails open trying to fly just like Orville and Wilbur and their crazy kites. The watercolor illustrations depict the kids’ imaginings of going up in various flying machines to explore in Africa, to the moon for a moonwalk, and to visit families around the world in a huge airbus. Their fascination with flying details each step, leading to the Wrights’ historic 12-second flight. A final spread is a pictorial chronology of aviation milestones. The breezy illustration style makes this soar, creating an airy sensation that is whimsical while providing a context for the momentous event and its impact on the future. (Picture book. 4-8)