The Little Airplane

This is a fantastic book for kids 5 and older. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is nice. The reason I would give to older kids is because the text is pretty detailed on how the airplane works and is a little too long for younger children.

We introduced our son to this book when he was about 18 mos old, along with some other children's books about airports and flying (preparatory to a cross-country flight.) At first, we read only a few lines of each page -- just enough to set the context -- but he always loved the pictures. I find the 1940's artwork to have just the right mix of rich color and limited detail to engage a young one's imagination. Personally, I find many of the computer-generated graphics nifty but a little cold and soul-less -- give me human animation from Clement Hurd, Eric Carle, Byron Barton or the like any day.... As our son has grown older (he's 2 1/2 now) we read more of the text. You can tell how much they want to hear of it as you start reading, and adjust your reading accordingly. Our son has always enjoyed this book and will ask for it regularly. I've done some flying in small planes, and the description is right-on -- Lenski definitely did good research for this book! Part of the magic of this book is its ability to place the child right there in the story. My son identifies with Pilot Small and will often say "I'm Pilot Small!" when he's strapping himself into his booster seat or "flying" around the living room in cardboard box. The book is a classic and I think it's timeless. If you've got a little one who is interested in airplanes, this book is a must-have!

This review was actually written by the father of the child to whom I gave the book. He is a pilot as is the child's grandfather. "The plane looks just like a red Piper Clipper, so Grandpa Tom will be delighted. Clearly written by someone who has flown taildraggers, as it is a perfect and simple primer in how to fly one properly. I wish I'd had that down in Florida [where he took flying lessons]..."

This book was a gift and I originally thought that it was too detailed to be interesting to my 22-month-old son. However, it has a very calming quality and he insists on it every night before bedtime. The adventures move along frequently enough to hold his interest, without being overly stimulating. And he can identify elements he likes from the drawings, such as the propeller, the wind sock, the hangar, and the car on the ground. His father and I appreciate the accurate details. I'm now on-line looking for other books by Lois Lenski, hoping that they, too, will be a hit for us.

While the text may be lengthy for toddlers (I have a 3-1/2 year old who loves this book, borrowed from the library, that I'm buying him a copy), this is certainly a book that grows with the child. The engaging, simple pictures allow for much imaginative story telling (who ever said parents are supposed to read every word when the child isn't ready?), moving into reading more and more of the text as the child grows older. I trained for a private pilot license, and the details given are simple and factual; just the kind of real stuff that children interested in airplanes would want to know; it's stuff they absorb readily if the subject interests them. I'm glad to see these books back in circulation. The other books in Lois Lenski's series are great, too. I don't know what the board book is like, but the rating of Baby-Preschool isn't accurate, at least for the 56-page Hard- and Paperback editions. This book is also great for older children who want to know more about the basic mechanics of airplanes and flight.