Planes

Selected for the Reading Rockets Summer Reading Guide 2024.

"Planes is a fun little story that follows Karl the Kiwi on his adventure learning to fly! The illustrations are fun and vibrant. They tie in with the text perfectly, not only elaborating what is written in the text, but also lending themselves to being an additional learning resource." —Cherokee Crum, YA Books Central

"ALL ABOARD! PLANES is another delightful installment in this informative picture book series. What I loved: This is such a clever series that works well for older preschoolers and young elementary school aged readers who love vehicles. The language is super-accessible and easy to understand with enough detail that children will be learning some new things without feeling bogged down by information. The colorful images and illustrations for each element add to the fun and work well for the picture book aged crowd, who need visuals to stay engaged and focused. There is plenty to learn on each page, as young readers can easily explore the different topics. The font is easy to read throughout, with color changes to white on dark backgrounds that makes it clear on each page. One of the best parts is the last page spread where it invites children to think of how planes may be different in the future. This invitation to imagination is always a big hit at our house, starting young readers off with some ideas before they can come up with their own. The backmatter includes an image of the inside of a plane for additional play as well. Final verdict: ALL ABOARD! PLANES is a delightful and educational picture book that is sure to be a hit with vehicle lovers." —Olivia Farr, YA Books Central

"Slick digital illustrations and copious amounts of informational text march across the thick cardboard pages (10 in total). Karl’s hiding in every scene, so looking for the maroon kiwi will be another activity.The vocabulary level was pretty high for a board book: bathyscaph, plumb line, hydrostatic pressure, combustion chamber, stratocumulus, turbulence, etc. On the plus side, the board book construction seemed sturdy, so if toddlers just want to look at the pictures and find Karl, they’ll be happy." —Susan Harari, Youth Services Book Review

"Planes is a great book for kids of all ages! With fun pictures and extensive information, all ages could learn from this book. I definitely would buy this for my library." —Librarian, Nativity Prep Boston

"Verdict: This book does a great job of explaining complicated concepts simply and the addition of the kiwi makes it fun without being too childish. A strong addition to collections of vehicles, I will be looking for other books in this series to add." —Jean Little Library

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