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ROTO AND ROY by Sherri Duskey Rinker

ROTO AND ROY

To the Rescue!

From the Roto and Roy series, volume 2

by Sherri Duskey Rinker ; illustrated by Don Tate

Pub Date: March 21st, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-316-53504-5
Publisher: Little, Brown

Roto the helicopter; her pilot, Roy; and Red, their pup, are back to save the day.

A bad storm has caused mayhem and destruction. Amid torrents of rain and gusty winds, Roto and Roy take to the skies to help. They see a semi dangling dangerously off a cliff and work together to hoist it back onto the road (“[Roy] holds steady, / sure and still / while Roto aims / her hoist with skill”). Then they see a car stuck in rising floodwaters, with a family stuck inside. Roto keeps her beams trained on the vehicle while Roy swoops down in a rescue basket to save the family. Their teamwork is unrivaled: “With strength, control, and nerves of steel, / this awesome team is just unreal!” Rinker’s energetic rhymes pulse with suspense and bravado. With broad shoulders, oversized hands, and a square jaw line, brown-skinned Roy is the epitome of a superhero. The strategically placed comic panels help pace the action. Tate plays with perspectives, showing dramatic scenes from an overhead view before switching to low-angle shots showing Roto and Roy coming to the rescue. Characters are diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Nature can be intense; (super)heroic teamwork puts things right in this thrilling tale.

(Picture book. 5-8)