The Fabulous Flying Machines of Alberto Santo-Dumont

August 1, 2012

K-Gr 3-Move over Orville and Wilber Wright and meet Alberto Santos-Dumont, the Brazilian inventor living in Paris who should have been dubbed the father of flight. With the help of his watchmaker best friend, Louis Cartier, Alberto was able to wear the first men's wristwatch to perfectly time his aerodynamic feats while being challenged to be the first to fly. Victoria Griffith's lovely book (Abrams, 2011) tells the story of how "Alberto Santos-Dumont loved floating over Paris in his own personal flying machine" and became the first man to lift off and land a completely self-propelled plane. Pair the audio with the hardcover book for a wonderful read-along and so that listeners can peruse Eva Montanari's pastel, chalk, and oil illustrations. Narrator Jeff Woodman conveys the era with perfect pacing and turns a potentially dry topic into an inspiring story. There's also an author's note and a selected bibliography chronicling the aviator's life. Purchase where biographical read-alongs are popular.-Amanda Schiavulli, West Orange Public Library, NJ

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