A Burst of Firsts: Doers, Shakers, and Record Breakers

"A Burst of Firsts" is wonderfully written and illustrated in a larger than life scale which fits hand in glove with the inspiration that flows from every colorful and witty page. All the main characters, the doers, shakers and brakers are fully cranked and in real life had to be. These folks exceeded the epectations of others and themselves. Susan Montgomery Williams is clearly surprised and awed at what she can do, which underlies the theme of the book, which Susan whimsicly floats through. Brian Ajhar's pictures are hilarious and brilliantly done. I loved the first men on the moon "kangas". I was in outback Australia in 1969 when moon walking happened. With a group of miners in a picture theater we witnessed the astronauts hoping across the moon. Out of the dark came the comment which bought the house down, "They are like a coupla bloody kangas" (outback for kangaroo)This is a great book because I think it can encourage kids by thinking bigger than the ordinary.

What a wonderful book! The brillant illustrations fill the pages with humor! And color! And action! The poetry fills a child's mind with thoughtful imagery. But the illustrations and poetry put together are enough to spark a child's creative side into full throttle!A Burst of Firsts brings to life in child-size quantities the feats of "the biggest", "the best", "the first". The children I have read it to wanted to know what feats they could preform to be "the first" as soon as I had put the book down. We giggled together thinking of all the possibilities! They laughed at the pictures of the fat cow blowing a bubble and of the Dino breaking the sound barrier!All the way down to the silo on the front cover, the illustrations are big and beautiful. The poems are thoughtful and playful!A marvelous book that children will pick up over and over again!