This Rocket

Children's Literature

This is the sixth book that Author Collicut has written about transportation. It is a marvel and sure to be very popular with young children who are interested in rockets. The bold, beautifully-executed paintings on the end papers and in the body of the book will be avidly observed over and over again. Simple text readily explains each of the varied types of rockets. The full power of the rockets leaps out from every page. Even without audio, the sounds of a blastoff and/or splashdown are experienced. Primary teachers doing a unit on transportation will find the other books on trucks, planes, cars, boats and trains—along with this title—are all that is needed to get kids learning. This and the other titles in the series should definitely be added to library collections. 2005, Farrar Straus Giroux, Ages 4 to 8.
—Sylvia Firth

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2-Collicutt's colorful book is at once an easy reader, a concept book, and a space primer. Introducing all types of rockets while comparing them as opposites, it will find many uses-and many readers. Space enthusiasts will be able to manage the simple text and garner even more information from the detailed end pages, which feature rocket history and a description of the Apollo 11 mission. Vehicle-obsessed youngsters will enjoy the book as well, especially the last page, which features a full-spread blast-off. The realistic paintings, done in a palette of saturated primary colors, will delight young readers. Add this title to Collicutt's This Truck (2004), This Car (2002), This Boat (2001), This Plane (2000), and This Train (1999, all Farrar) for a complete unit on transportation.-Angela J. Reynolds, Annapolis Valley Regional Library, Bridgetown, NS, Canada Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Collicutt is well known for his bold and energetic picture books on transportation vehicles. Rockets fit his style to a T: They are fast and furious; they come in a wide variety; and they don't just move us around, they can take us to the Moon. The text is simple and comparative: "This rocket is tall. This rocket is short," announces a two-page spread. Moreover, Collicutt includes front and end pieces of much greater detail: One is a history of rockets with a strong company of illustrations, the other a step-by-step look at the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon. Yet, as always, it's Collicutt's artwork that speaks volumes: It is, appropriately, utterly transporting, with Collicutt providing both wonderfully specific drawings of rockets and backdrops in which readers can fully immerse themselves. (Picture book. 3-6)