An informative book that should fire young imaginations and foster an interest in the ways we take to the skies.
Vehicle-loving author Coyle turns his attention skyward in this guide to flying conveyances.
Following the format of previous volumes in the Finn’s Fun Trucks series, a racially diverse crew, apparently three men and two women in this case, presents five different types of aircraft and explains the features and uses of each. Featured types of transport are a jumbo jet, glider, seaplane, helicopter, and “spaceplane” (space shuttle). Each vehicle is named by its pilot via dialogue balloon on verso and illustrated on the facing page, with three key features identified. That page then folds open to show the craft in action: “A helicopter can fly straight up and down. / This makes flying possible when there isn’t enough room for a plane to take off or land.” The book concludes with the five pilots asking, “Can you guess all the places our crew can fly?” The facing picture of all five vehicles folds open to show them all at work, with the answer: “EVERYWHERE!” The crew is depicted in a pleasantly cartoonish form, and the aircraft are rendered realistically, with appropriate detail. The foldout pages invite children’s participation and should help to keep even the squirmiest young readers engaged. The simultaneously published Space Squad volume encourages children to look even further upward and outward.
An informative book that should fire young imaginations and foster an interest in the ways we take to the skies. (Board book. 2-6)Pub Date: March 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4867-1548-0
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Flowerpot Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019
Smoother rides are out there.
Mommy and Bonnie—two anthropomorphic rodents—go for a joyride and notice a variety of conveyances around their busy town.
The pair encounter 22 types of vocational vehicles as they pass various sites, including a fire engine leaving a firehouse, a school bus approaching a school, and a tractor trailer delivering goods to a supermarket. Narrated in rhyming quatrains, the book describes the jobs that each wheeled machine does. The text uses simple vocabulary and sentences, with sight words aplenty. Some of the rhymes don't scan as well as others, and the description of the mail truck’s role ("A mail truck brings / letters and cards / to mailboxes / in people's yards) ignores millions of readers living in yardless dwellings. The colorful digitally illustrated spreads are crowded with animal characters of every type hustling and bustling about. Although the art is busy, observant viewers may find humor in details such as a fragile item falling out of a moving truck, a line of ducks holding up traffic, and a squirrel’s spilled ice cream. For younger children enthralled by vehicles, Sally Sutton’s Roadwork (2011) and Elizabeth Verdick’s Small Walt series provide superior text and art and kinder humor. Children who have little interest in cars, trucks, and construction equipment may find this offering a yawner. Despite being advertised as a beginner book, neither text nor art recommend this as an engaging choice for children starting to read independently. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Smoother rides are out there. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Jan. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-37725-3
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
There’s charm in this picture book, but it’s a bit of a wash.
A rhyming introduction to a variety of weather phenomena.
“So how about that weather?” A ubiquitous small-talk topic gets the board-book treatment in this cheerful informational text. Enthusiastic, colorful illustrations are a highlight, and beaming, anthropomorphic kawaii-style weather formations are eye-grabbers. Who doesn’t love a grinning rainbow? Children with various skin tones pictured throughout the book are equally pleasant and include a wheelchair user. If the book is agreeable to look at, it's less so to listen to. The oft-stilted rhymes aren't intuitive, and clunkers like “when a cloud gets dark and heavy with rain it's called a cumulonimbus which is such a funny name” take a few tries to get right when read aloud. Adding insult to injury, the line breaks are sometimes jarring, making the rhyme even more daunting. Most of the main sections contain appropriately digestible bits of introductory information conveyed in a bubbly, enthusiastic tone, with snow described vividly as “raindrops that freeze into crystals.” However, sometimes there is a mismatch between the text and its intended audience. Some topics—seasons, clouds, rain—with their easily visible and experiential elements, seem perfectly suited for toddlers; others, like humidity and hurricanes, are more of a stretch. A “Fun Fact” section discussing matters such as the Earth’s axis and climatology versus meteorology is more appropriate for early-elementary learners. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
There’s charm in this picture book, but it’s a bit of a wash. (Informational board book. 2-5)Pub Date: May 17, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-953344-47-2
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Genius Books/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2022
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