by Pierre Winters & illustrated by Tineke Meirinck ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1, 2012
An impressive amount of useful information in an inviting format, studded with humor.
Everything a youngster might want to know about air travel.
Henry and Kate are going on vacation with their parents. Packed bags close by, they stare excitedly out the window at the airport, waiting for the call to board. A series of two-page spreads charts the history of flight, from Icarus through biplanes to the modern jet, then Winters takes readers onto the plane to check out every part from nose to tail. Another spread depicts one boy's (puzzlingly, not Henry) fascination; he makes a paper airplane and flies a remote-control helicopter before building his own toy plane out of wood and finally piloting a small plane himself. A double-gatefold provides a panoramic view of the airport, illustrating aspects of airport security. Then readers meet the various airport personnel, pictured and described. Henry and Kate hold their boarding passes as they wait in line to get on the plane. All along the way are additional tidbits or reader challenges in little bubbles. Winters closes with a pair of poems about flight and a handful of quizzes (matching pictured baggage to owners, for example) and craft projects, like making a travel notebook. The illustrations look a bit too old-fashioned for the hipness of the text, but it’s still a solid, if busy introduction for new fliers.
An impressive amount of useful information in an inviting format, studded with humor. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-60537-137-5
Page Count: 30
Publisher: Clavis
Review Posted Online: Oct. 23, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2012
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More In The Series
by Jozua Douglas & illustrated by Barbara van Rheenen
by Suzan Boshouwers & illustrated by Marjolein Hund
by Hoda Kotb ; illustrated by Chloe Dominique ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2024
Pleasant enough but not particularly original.
Uplifting messages of positivity from the Today show anchor.
Hope springs eternal, so the saying goes. Kotb agrees, here delivering to children the cheery news that hope lives inside all of them and that whatever they might wish for can be theirs. All they need is a sunny outlook, and the possibilities for happy outcomes are virtually endless. Children’s dreams can be in-the-moment ones—like purple ice cream with whipped cream and a cherry—or more far-ranging ones, such as growing tall enough to reach that high shelf easily or for hair that’s long enough to braid. It doesn’t matter, the author reassures young readers. Your aspirations will be realized, so don’t give up on them—just keep believing in them and, most of all, in yourself. Throughout, Kotb calls hope a rainbow, a feeling, a gift, and a wish. Hope is “new friends you’ll find— / friends who are loving and funny and kind.” Hope is “practicing your heart out, letter by letter.” The book’s overarching theme is upbeat, but its bouncy rhyming text is clumsy. The child-appealing illustrations are colorful and lively, though they have a generic look. The cast of wide-eyed characters is racially diverse; some have visible disabilities.
Pleasant enough but not particularly original. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9780593624128
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Flamingo Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 16, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2024
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More by Hoda Kotb
BOOK REVIEW
by Hoda Kotb ; illustrated by Suzie Mason
by Phil Rosenthal & Lily Rosenthal ; illustrated by Luke Flowers ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024
Amusing but misleading on the nutritional and behavioral fronts.
With one taste of despised mustard, a child pivots from rejecting new foods to seeking them.
Dad takes Lil to a food truck festival. Lil, who narrates the story, is nervous; this child’s list of acceptable foods is short (pizza, rice, grilled cheese, french fries, and vanilla ice cream). Dad loves varied tastes and repeatedly reminds Lil of his rule: “Just try it!” With a “YECCCH!” or an “EWWWWWW!” Lil refuses a bagel loaded with toppings, linguini with clams, Peking duck, pizza with spinach and garlic, and a pretzel covered with Lil’s most hated of foods: mustard. Frustrated, Lil accidentally knocks the pretzel onto Dad’s shirt. Lil apologizes, takes a lick of mustard…and instantly learns to appreciate every rejected offering. Lil then uses the title mantra to pressure Dad onto a nausea-inducing roller-coaster ride. Bright, cartoon-style illustrations emphasize the pair's upbeat mood. Food neophobia, or an aversion to eating anything novel, has complex psychosocial roots. But in this blithe little fable, the child’s resistance is completely overcome with a single accidental exposure, and the formerly picky eater immediately becomes a novelty seeker. The turnaround here is implausible; if this book creates any expectations of a sudden dramatic change in a child’s behavior, that would be a disservice. Both Dad and Lil are light-skinned.
Amusing but misleading on the nutritional and behavioral fronts. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781665942638
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2023
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