Review by Booklist Review
It's all about planes, gliders, helicopters, and machines that fly. Olivera uses a retro artistic style to zip along from the ace in his biplane to zeppelin, with all aeronautical stops in between. He introduces some introductory science and the physics of flight: I is for intake and J is for jet, or T is for turbulence and also for tailwind. A UFO hovers over a farmer's field, with a wide-eyed cow in its beams, but whoops the cow is gone in V is for vanished On the last page, a smiling stunt pilot writes each letter in white smoke like little clouds in the sky, thus reinforcing the letters in alphabetical order. Simple in concept, but children will pore over the details about the mechanics of flying. Vertical panels show an astronaut taking off in a space capsule and then landing in the ocean. The bright colors and lots of white space celebrate a love of flight and vehicles with wings.--Gepson, Lolly Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Olivera makes a polished and assured debut with this aeronautical alphabet book whose crisp, clean digital images, while not explicitly retro, still evoke a Pan Am-era chicness. Most spreads feature two well-paired letters/words-at sea under a pale yellow sky, an aircraft carrier covers both "Cc is for carrier" and "Dd is for deck." Olivera also includes glancing references to aviation history ("Kk is for Kitty Hawk"), navigation, and interplanetary travel: in a humorous rural night scene, a grazing cow is shown wide-eyed under the beam of a UFO. On the facing page, for V, the cow has "vanished." Ages 3-7. Agent: Jennifer Mattson, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-"Aa is for ace" and "Bb is for biplane" in this retro-style alphabet book that is all about aviation. Each letter is displayed in both upper- and lowercase, and paired with an item or term relating to flight. The bold illustrations are simple yet whimsical, and the color palette dominated by teal, red-orange, golden yellow, and black translates nicely to depictions ranging from Kitty Hawk to a rocket. Words and concepts vary from simple and familiar-F is for fuel, J is for jet-to more complex ones, likely to spark further questions and conversation from young readers: U is for U.F.O.; V is for vanished; and X is for "X axis," paired with an engineering blueprint image. The bright colors and popular theme will appeal to children interested in flight. VERDICT A smart addition for elementary collections with frequent requests for airplane books.-Whitney LeBlanc, Staten Island Academy, NY © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
From flying aces to zeppelins, this alphabet book focuses on flight. The examples aren't always the most preschooler friendly: "Ii is for intake" and "Xx is for X axis," for example, won't mean much to the intended audience. The clean, retro-looking illustrations contain enough detail to satisfy young aviation fans. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Fasten your seat belts: here's another alphabet book featuring airplanes. Does this one take flight over the others? The geometric shapes and colorful graphic images make this one quite attractive. One or two words are assigned to each letter, displayed in both upper and lower cases, usually two letters to a double-page spread. Some words are natural choices"Aa is for ace. / Bb is for biplane"while others will require explanation. "Cc is for carrier. / Dd is for deck" shows a plane taking off from an aircraft carrier. "Kk is for Kitty Hawk" occupies a double-page spread of its own and depicts a triumphant Wilbur aboard the Wright Flyer with Orville running along behind in the sand. Olivera has mixed success for the tricky letters, offering up "quick," "UFO" (paired playfully if rather opaquely for the audience with "vanished"), "X axis," and "zeppelin." Most spreads include humans interacting with the key object. Though there is no legend, there are enough interesting terms to hold kids' attention, especially those who are fascinated with airplanes. Variations in perspective and the mood of the artwork keep the two-dimensional scenes from feelng static while retaining the posterlike style. This title lines up between a realistic approach and a comic one, soaring along nicely. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
