Flying [Hardcover]

Donald Crews (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

An airplane takes off, flies, and lands after having passed over cities, country areas, lakes, and more.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreS Up A flight from daylight into night in a propeller-driven airplane begins with white planes on the light blue front endpapers and ends with black planes on the darker blue concluding endpapers. The three or four (or fewer) large, bold, sans serif words per double-page spread are mostly redundant because Crews' simple and direct way of designing his planes, buildings, and landscapes create forceful narrative qualities. He treats all of his man-made objects as if they were children's toy blocks, relying on shadows to enhance their abstract and geometric shapes. Clouds and foliage are more organically treated, using airbrush and stencils to produce undulating patterns that contrast effectively with the harder-edge vehicles. The pictures tell a comforting story of a flight and make flying a form of aesthetic experience. Kenneth Marantz, Art Education Department, Ohio State University, Columbus
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Donald Crews is the renowned creator of many celebrated children's books, including the Caldecott Honor Books Freight Train and Truck. He and his wife, Ann Jonas, live in New York's Hudson River Valley.

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Donald Crews es el renombrado autor de dos libros merecedores del premio Caldecott, Tren de carga (Freight Train) y School Bus. Vive con su esposa, Ann Jonas, cerca del RÍo Hudson, en Nueva York.

--This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 33 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books; 1st edition (October 20, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688043186
• ISBN-13: 978-0688043186
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,850,989 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Simple but pleasing for a small child., November 16, 1999

By 

Paula Burch - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flying (Paperback)

Each picture has from one to four words describing it - from boarding to landing a plane, from the viewpoint of one watching, not riding. My son has every page memoraized! This is a good, simple book for a toddler who likes planes. There is not much 'meat' to the book; it's not meant to educate about planes or dazzle with rhythm or rhyme.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Come Fly With Me, November 5, 2006

By 

M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flying (Hardcover)

Whether writing about trains, bicycle races, harbors, trucks, or airports, Donald Crews has a mastery of clear, uncluttered shapes, both in pictures and in the organization of his stories. Somehow his illustrations are both soothing and stimulating. They're gentle, and yet Crews can surprise us with dramatically beautiful drawings as well. For anyone who's read a Crews book, the text (in Helvetica Black Italic font) has a warm familiarity. Typically, he starts slowly, and then introduces his audience to some slight twist that builds suspense, followed by a happy conclusion. That's one reason why "Flying" is an excellent book for kids who may have a fear of flying--as well as kids who love airplanes.

He begins with his typically masterful blue tones, but adds orange and mauve and greens as the backdrop for a small airport (the pictures are done with gouache and airbrush). He uses single words and short phrases to describe the opening scenes: "Boarding." "Taxiing to the runway." "Ready." (The propellers start to spin.) "Take off." (The plane begins to fly, and we can see its shadow on the runway. As the plane climbs, Crews' text remains descriptive and simple, but the illustrations become more abstract. We see complex, patterned, overhead views of vehicles on criss-crossing highways, and the geometry of rooftops, domes, towers, and a ballpark. (The text reads, "Flying over cities") At "Flying across the country," we see the transition from the city to suburbs to a post-impressionist view of farmland dotted with foliage, with the squares and rectangles of farmhouses and barns. While the illustrations are sophisticated, they're totally comprehensible. Crews takes familiar scenes, and teaches kids and adults new ways of looking at them. The plane's flight continues, and it's comforting how the plane just goes on its way, unperturbed by the terrain. We see it "flying high over mountains," and then into the clouds (looking like waves of snowballs and whipped cream). There's perhaps a little anxiety as the clouds partially obscure the plane, but on the next page it emerges above them, without effort or strain, its shadow visible on the wavy clouds beneath it.

Crews also pays attention to time, especially evening and night, when journeys come to a close and safety is paramount. As the sky darkens, it's "time to head down," and there's a magnificent picture of the airplane flying across downtown buildings lit by hundreds of windows. We see the silhouetted plane descend into a safe landing, and the happy passengers disembark to greet their friends waiting on the ground. Another great work by Donald Crews, and if you like this, you're almost certain to love his other quietly exciting adventures. Highly recommended for toddlers and the beginning reader.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for toddlers!, July 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Flying (Hardcover)

My 21 month old son loves this book! This is great for a child who is already interested in planes. The text is very simple, which makes it easy for a young child to "read"; simply by describing what he/she is seeing in the picture. The illustrations are also very clear and colorful.