HOW'D THEY DO THAT?

Two grandparents convey the histories of famous fliers in Joseph Howard Cooper’s book.

As the book opens, a grandfather recounts the Wright Brothers’ journey—from their early birdwatching to their constructing wind tunnels for experiments and choosing North Carolina as an ideal flight-test site. Cooper touches on key themes of commitment, dedication, preparation, and perseverance while telling how the siblings outpaced their better-funded rivals. The book’s first part depicts a conversation between a granddad and grandson, interspersing dialogue with helpful clarifications of complex vocabulary, including terms such as equilibrium (“compensated for”) and altimeter to ensure that technical aspects of aviation are accessible for young readers. The detailed, full-color illustrations by Patricia DeWitt and Robin DeWitt will appeal to young audiences; the main characters are depicted as anthropomorphized animals in human clothing. The grandfather is a wise, jolly dog with white whiskers, and the grandson is an enthusiastic young reptile, often dressed in a karate gi. The book’s second part moves into a furry, rabbitlike grandmother’s story of Amelia Earhart, told to two young mammals who look like lion cubs. After a smooth transition, Earhart’s story begins with her visit to see the Wright Brothers National Memorial at Kitty Hawk before moving into her historic solo flight across the Atlantic. This section hews closely to Earhart’s memoirs, including some of her most poetic descriptions of flying. In this way, Earhart’s pioneering spirit is effectively shown to inspire the gathered grandkids and is likely to similarly resonate with youngsters considering engineering or piloting careers. Detailed endnotes, including Earhart’s flight maps, links to online databases, and key primary source excerpts, help round out the book as a potentially useful teaching tool.

An informative and engaging survey of aviation pioneers, perfect for kids, adult caregivers, and STEM educators.