Transportation!

February 1, 2017

K-Gr 2-Gibbons presents the topic of transportation to young readers in her easy, identifiable style. Employing large, bright watercolor illustrations to complement brief but descriptive text, the book sheds light on the ways people around the world have developed diverse modes of travel. Gibbons explains the variety of options for those on the go, from public transportation to aircraft, big and small. She discusses what it means to commute and how travel is used for work and pleasure. Labels on each page enhance understanding. A scene of children preparing to board a school bus engages the audience as users of transportation. Back matter depicts a number of important signs, signals, and navigational aids.

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 15, 2017
A stalwart in nonfiction gives a basic introduction to the topic.Gibbons breaks transportation (or "what people use to get around") into four main categories: cars and other vehicles, trains, aircraft, and boats. As the many cars, buses, vans, etc. zip past, the most notable fact included is the definition of commuters. The rest deals in generalities about size, shape, and speed. For trains, planes, and boats there is a bit more to explain about how they work, but even that is kept to a one-sentence, sometimes frustratingly simplistic minimum: "Helicopters and many planes have engines that turn propeller blades to make them fly." Space travel feels tacked on as an afterthought (with the International Space Station jarringly butting up against a country road across the gutter), with a little speculation about transportation in the future. Tucked among the buses, bikes, and sedans, there is a bit of diversity found in the townsfolk, but the majority is still white. Gibbons turns this into a Richard Scarry imitation, lacking an entertaining (or even very informational) text to accompany the many labeled vehicles; confirmed transportation enthusiasts will quickly lose interest. (Informational picture book. 3-6)

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March 1, 2017
Preschool-G This engaging picture-book dictionary is clear, concise, and accurate and has all the desirable features young transportation enthusiasts could want. Every page has a theme set in large print ( Cars and Other Vehicles, Aircraft, Transportation in Space ), and every image is distinctly labeled. The crisp ink and colorful wash illustrations are laid out so that pages are busy and enticing but precise, and on the rare occasion when an image is repeated, the exact same label is used. When alternative names or informational tidbits are added ( The shape of a locomotive is streamlined to allow for greater speed ), the text never clutters the page. When feasible, kids and families are shown enjoying the modes of transportation, reinforcing the stated themes. Entries range from pedicabs to the International Space Station, and a final page depicts navigational aids, signs, and signals. Gibbons' previous offerings have proved extremely popular, and this one is another winner.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)