The Noisy Airplane Ride
PreSchool-Grade 2-From the "Stomp, stomp, tromp" of passengers' feet on the Jetway while boarding to the "Hello" of a waiting grandma at journey's end, this picture book focuses on the sounds and sights of an airplane trip. The rhythmic text briefly describes mechanical noises, such as the "Thrum" of the engines and the "Whirrrr" of moving flaps, as well as the familiar cacophony of the cabin, including the "Ding" of the seat-belt sign and the "Ker-oosh" of a flushing toilet. Unfortunately, the rhymes are sometimes awkward and strained ("The wheels bump along again/as the airplane taxis in"). Also, the concepts mentioned are not always clearly explained. For example, part of the landing process is described by a couplet that might baffle youngsters: "Reversers help the plane to slow/by changing where the thrust will go." An interesting spread at the end of the book features a broad diagram of an airplane and provides more information. The computer-generated illustrations are colorful and filled with motion, but the characters seem a bit stiff. Consider this one only if you are looking to supplement such standbys as Fred Rogers's Going on an Airplane (Putnam, 1989; o.p.).Joy Fleishhacker, formerly at School Library JournalCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.