Aircraft

Children's Literature - Peg Glisson

Readers will learn about the science and history of flying through an exploration of 15 aircraft, from early flyers to high tech bombers in this entry in the "How It Works" series. After a brief introduction, the hot-air balloon is discussed; while technically not flying, such balloons allowed people to travel through the air. Then it's on to the hang glider, Wright Flyer, Sopwith Camel, Spirit of St. Louis, Harrier Jump Jet, Airbus, and more. Information is presented in many small boxes on each two-page spread, some of which are linked to drawings, cutaways, or diagrams. A "Eureka" box underscores the history or some unusual feature of each craft, while a "What Next" box looks to the future. Diagrams detailing how things work, such as wings, airframe, stealth, and turbofan are generally clear, as are the explanations in the text; how-to's are marked with a red asterisk, which helps the reader know where to look. There is also a photograph included on each spread. Unfortunately, the thin line going from the description/explanation is often hard to follow to its destination on the drawing. Drawings are occasionally used more than once, as is the wing diagram explaining liftoff page 6; it shows up on page 12 as well, this time with a paragraph about how wings work. A diagram on page 7 has no accompanying text, but appears again on page 16 as part of the control surfaces explanation. Overall, though, this is a useful overview for the intended age group. It is well indexed, has a glossary, and web links (providing considerably more information) to explore. Reviewer: Peg Glisson