If You Had a Jetpack

February 1, 2018
Blast off! Fun has no limits when you have a jetpack. There's turbo tag at recess, flying to Nana's, and even exploring the galaxy.The adventure begins with an idea: "If you found yourself bored, with nothing to do, you could build your own jetpack." Although the project might be challenging, cleverness and persistence fuel your journey to the stars. Narrated in second person, the text encourages readers to imagine themselves into the story. A blue bunny with red glasses stands in for the "you" described in the text. As the story progresses, each new adventure becomes increasingly fantastic, from showing off at school and zipping to the front of the lunch line to exploring outer space and earning a medal from the president (a pink-pantsuit-wearing bear). Detlefsen (Time for Cranberries, 2015) and debut picture-book illustrator Hunter develop a rhythm throughout the story by punctuating each scenario with an adverb that receives extra emphasis on the page through colorful, bold display type and other typographical emphasis. The text mingles with the digitally rendered illustrations, curving and zigzagging across the pages. Brightly colored animal characters and pages full of movement fit the playful tone and the theme of imagination.A whimsical story that challenges readers to dream, create, and share their fun with everyone. (Picture book. 3-6)

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March 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 2- In this charming circular story, a homemade jetpack is the catalyst for a boisterous fantasy adventure that blasts a young engineer from home, to school, on a visit to his Nana, and finally to outer space before he starts to miss his family and returns to Earth. The cast of characters is stylized clothes-wearing animals, appealingly reminiscent of the inhabitants of Richard Scarry's Busytown. The writing is cheerful and straightforward, and the illustrations often fill in humorous details to the plot, giving young readers and their adults great fodder for conversation about the clever interplay between words and images. Storytime crowds will warm to the book's fast-paced action, and independent readers will delight in the zany illustrations. In addition to fostering a sense of curiosity and invention, this book encourages a spirit of kindness, as many of the protagonist's imaginary adventures involve him helping others. VERDICT An energetic, crowd-pleasing read-aloud that can be revisited again and again.-Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Library, CA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2018
Preschool-G A far cry from Detlefsen's realistic picture book Time for Cranberries (2015), this imaginative one begins with a hypothetical: If you found yourself bored, with nothing to do, you could build your own JETPACK. A young rabbit heads the cast of dressed-animal characters. After he builds a jetpack for himself and one for his little brother, they wear them to school, where they play Turbo Tag at recess (cautiously). Later, Mama gives her bunnies permission to visit their nana, so they take off (immediately). With each turn of the page, the story moves along, sometimes in an unexpected direction, but finally reminding us that imaginative folks are never bored for long. The amiable text creates its own rhythm, ambling along in an entertaining way, and then creating a pause periodically with a single significant adverb such as firmly, boldly, or unexpectedly. Hunter's quirky, rather busy digital artwork captures the droll tone of the story. This vivid picture book will leave kids longing for jetpacks, while taking off on their own flights of fancy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)