AMANDA FLIES HIGH

Former schoolteacher Childs documents a hot-air balloon ride in this picture book.

As a retirement gift from her teaching career, Childs was given a balloon ride. She has since been on a number of flights (as she remarks at the end of the book), but the one captured here has very much the feel of a maiden voyage–the reader almost expects the author to burst out laughing at the fun of it all. She seemingly targets an elementary-school audience, especially given that the titular Amanda is Child’s stuffed panda. The photographs pack enough oomph to draw in older readers, though they’re not all of professional quality–among them are several bland and blurry images. Still, their imperfection is part of their charm. Readers can visualize wind hitting the gondola just as Childs is firing the shot, and can imagine the sensory overload of being in the balloon for the first time. Some photos, though, are breathtaking, particularly those of the shadow cast by the balloon in the early morning sun–in one instance thrown against a forest wall, in another upon a field of golden stubble. The parti-colored envelope of the balloon alone is a neat piece of eye candy. The author’s text is simple and straightforward, explaining to young readers how the balloon becomes airborne, how it travels and how the burners fire their great ten-foot tongues of flame into the envelope. For increased clarity, she wisely includes a detailed drawing of a hot-air balloon and a list of terms related to her voyage. More importantly, Childs engages readers in the various joys of flight, including the quiet and peace that comes at a 1,400-foot altitude.

A gratifying piece of humble adventure.