This Plane

Nothing soothes the 3-year-old (boy) soul better than "This Plane" or its partners "This Train" etc. Also a pleasure for parents sick of reading the minutiae in encyclopedia-type aircraft books - the beautiful illustration, simple copy, and brief length are refreshing. I think it could be appropriate for babies through early readers.

My 22 month old son is currently obsessed with airplanes and helicopters. He is constantly peering at the sky, looking for them flying overhead. In my search for a book or two of planes, this is the clear winner. The text is very simple "this plane carries passengers... this plane carries cargo." The illustrations, however, are gorgeous. They are clearly painted by someone with a love for aircraft. Some are historical, some are futuristic. They are a pleasure to view. While a small toddler will have plenty to oogle (we read this book several times a day-- his request), an older child will enjoy discussing the different aircraft types. Propellers versus jet engines, pontoons versus wheels, etc. Thumbs up for this simple picture book.

My boys (aged 3) love this book. The illustrations are bright and detailed. The text that accompanies each picture describes what the plane in the picture does that makes it different from other planes (ie. "This planes takes off with a catapult."). My kids can flip through the pages of book for ages. On the inside cover there are additional illustrations of all sort of planes with their official names- a great help for parents who don't have a clue about planes!