LITTLE TRACTOR WANTS TO FLY

“I want to be like you, and you want to be like me!”

In this addition to the Little Tractor series, originally published in Belgium and the Netherlands, Little Tractor and his barnyard friends meet Gaston, a small one-seater airplane. Little Tractor envies Gaston’s ability to fly and do acrobatic stunts. A few days later, Little Tractor surprises his friends by strapping a wooden board to his hood—these are his wings, he explains. But when Little Tractor revs up to fly, he ends up plowing into a group of bushes. Though his friends remind him of all he can do, Little Tractor remains upset over what he can’t do—fly. As luck would have it, Gaston swoops in too low one day and gets stuck in a tree in the woods. Anton the horse pulls Gaston out of the tree, but the plane doesn’t have enough room to take off. Little Tractor comes to the rescue and takes to heart Gaston’s praise—and envy—of his pulling ability. By the time Gaston leaves, both he and Little Tractor have learned to appreciate their own special strengths. Little Tractor, illustrated in bright red, is a cheery contrast to blue-and-white Gaston. Attentive readers will notice how Little Tractor’s and Gaston’s facial features add emotion to each scene. Colorful, detailed backgrounds complete each scene and make this book a strong storytime read that will help little ones learn to value what makes them special.

Good-hearted lessons from an earnest, lovable protagonist.