Review by Booklist Review
Taking a plane trip for the first time can be an exciting and a frightening experience for a child. In simple text, this book follows a family (mother, father, daughter) as they board a plane, enjoy a smooth flight, then disembark for their destination. Along the way, vocabulary related to airplanes and flying is introduced. Brightly colored, naturalistic digital illustrations convey a great deal of information about how an airport functions, such as how the baggage is loaded and that ground control directs the air traffic. The people depicted have varying skin tones, and the pilot is a woman with a male copilot. With the focus divided between the technical preparations for the plane and the experience of the traveling family, not much detail is given to either. No security line is depicted, for example, and there is no explanation about how the plane is able to go aloft. Used with a nonfiction book about how airplanes work, this story could be helpful in calming any concerns a child might have about an upcoming trip.--Lucinda Whitehurst Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-This picture book gives readers the inside scoop on the people and technology behind a successful flight. It opens with a young girl and her parents presenting their tickets to the travel agent at the gate. The next scene focuses on the luggage: "The baggage crew loads the cargo hold. `Cargo doors are closed,' calls the ground crew." The illustration spans the spread and gives readers the feeling of being at the airport. As in real life, the ground crew looks small in comparison to the plane. Text and illustrations work well together and would be an excellent choice for a storytime or in a one-on-one reading. Another strength of this title is the effort that went into making the text accurate. In the opening page the author thanks his technical advisors: a first officer, an aircraft manufacturing representative, and a flight instructor. The title helps build curiosity and vocabulary in a child-friendly way. A list of 13 "Airplane Words to Know," including cockpit, yoke and flight attendant, is appended. VERDICT This is a highly recommended early STEM title for public libraries and schools, and a great way to prepare young children for their first plane ride.-Robin Sofge, Prince William Public Library System, VA © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
From takeoff to landing, a look behind the scenes of a commercial flight.A family begins their journey with boarding passes in hand. The perspective then zooms back to reveal the ground crew. Bags are loaded, "the tug pushes the plane away from the gate," and the control tower gives the all clear. As the pilot lifts the plane off the runway, readers visit the family once again in flight. After a quick few pages showing food-service carts and the myriad ways folks entertain themselves in the air, the focus shifts swiftly back toward everyone who helps the plane land smoothly. Technical terms such as "yoke" and "landing gear" help youngsters understand the mechanics of a flight (and are further defined in a closing glossary) in addition to the scenes of a typical airport visit. Clement's crisp, clean digital images and bold angle placements resemble those of another transportation connoisseur, Donald Crews. The focal family is interracial, with an East Asian mom and white dad; the pilot is a white woman, and her co-pilot is a man of color. A wriggling, furry passenger that has been hiding in the daughter's bag the entire flight gives readers a sweet surprise ending.It's not the only first introduction to flight to be found, but it's an intriguing choice for the more technically minded. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
