Lisa's Airplane Trip [Hardcover]

Anne Gutman (Author), Georg Hallensleben (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 13, 2001 | Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: Misadventures of Gaspard and Lisa

Lisa's Airplane Trip is one of two titles launching the Misadventures of Gaspard and Lisa series. Lisa experiences for the first time in her life what it is like to travel on an airplane when she flies by herself to meet her uncle in the United States. The meal, movie, and other passengers provide endless amusement for Lisa--until an unfortunate accident with her orange juice. Fortunately, a very nice flight attendant makes everything better with a quick wash in the bathroom, followed by a special trip to the cockpit.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

When Lisa goes on a plane trip by herself for the first time, her flight from Paris to New York is extremely eventful. She sits next to a "blue lady" (she's wearing a blue dress) who ends up moving after Lisa squirms a bit too much. Before she can nap for very long on her newly empty stretch of seats, food arrives on a tray. And if that weren't thrilling enough, a movie (Cowboys Forever) comes on, and in the attempt to see over the seats (Lisa is a small dog), she knocks over her orange juice glass. This sets off a whole new chain of events, as "the airplane lady" gives her a bath in the bathroom sink and she gets a special tour of the cockpit (where the pilots tell the newly soaped dog she smells nice). By the time she gets back to her seat, she's in America, "all clean." Granted, this is a simple story. Its charm lies in Anne Gutman's funny, loving details and in Georg Hallensleben's ever irresistible paintings of small moments: the spattered orange paint as her juice goes everywhere, the very cute sink bath, etc. This is the perfect book for any youngster who's about to go on a plane ride, or anyone else, for that matter. Luckily for us, this, and its companion Gaspard on Vacation mark the start of what promises to be a delightful series. Highly recommended! (Ages 2 to 6) --Karin Snelson

From Publishers Weekly

These smaller-format picture books record the vacation misadventures of two diminutive stuffed dogs, who wear tasteful scarves and behave with unusual aplomb. They are the only stuffed dogs in sight; the rest of the players are human. Lisa flies from Paris to New York on a large airplane, where her excited wiggling prompts her seatmate to move, and her small stature makes watching the movie a problem. After she upsets the orange juice glass she has been standing on and gets a bath from a flight attendant, she tours the cockpit. "You smell very nice," the pilot tells her. "It was the soap," Lisa explains. In the other book, Gaspard, tired of endless museum tours in Venice, appropriates a little red kayak and evades capture until nightfall, when he is reunited with his parents. Lisa's is the better story Gutman pays more attention to the problems of being small in a world of large people, and Lisa is conjured with real charm but Gaspard's is more impressive visually. Hallensleben's rich, intelligent oil paintings render Venice's architectural marvels in shifting shades of turquoise, terra-cotta and gold. Smaller panels convey the fast action of Gaspard's trip through the canals and his collision with a gondola. Hallensleben's work for Lisa is no less engaging; he knows what it's like to be a child with a glassful of orange juice coming straight at you. Both are winsome flights of fancy. Ages 3-6. (Mar.)
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (March 13, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375811141
• ISBN-13: 978-0375811142
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 0.4 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #50,557 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #74 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Sports & Activities > Activities & Toys

More About the Author

Anne Gutman was a book designer before teaming up with her husband to write stories. She is the author of the best-selling George and Lily picture books, published in over 15 countries. She lives in Paris with their two young children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fly along with Lisa--but watch out for that orange juice!, March 13, 2001

By 

John DiBello (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lisa's Airplane Trip (Hardcover)

I'm a big fan of children's picture books. Yes, I'm nearly 40! But the best picture books transcend age and can be as much a delight for adults as for kids. "Lisa's Airplane Trip" and "Gaspard on Vacation", the first two in the Misadventures of Gaspard and Lisa series, are among the best of the year so far-- colorful and delightful stories of two travelling dogs, with whimsical and hilarious painted illustrations.

"Lisa's Airplane Trip" is my favorite of the two: fluffy white dog Lisa is taking her first airplane trip. In bright, colorful paintings and uncomplicated text we fly along with her from Paris to New York--annoying the woman sitting next to her, struggling to be tall enough to watch the in-flight movie, eating the airline meal (a wonderfully detailed page showing absolutely everything you get for lunch) and a very cute sequence where Lisa has a mishap with a glass of orange juice (and gets a bath in the sink from a very kind flight attendant). It's incredible cute without being saccharine, and George Hallensleben's detailed and vivid illustrations are colorful and delightful. Lisa is expressive and fun to look at and the humor is gentle and reassuring.

Any kid who's taken an airplane trip will identify with Lisa's in-flight predicaments. "Lisa's Airplane Trip" makes a great quick bedtime read--but you'll love Lisa as much as your kids!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fly with Lisa....., May 19, 2001

By 

Roz Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lisa's Airplane Trip (Hardcover)

Take a trip with Lisa, an adorable little white dog with expressive black eyes, who is traveling alone by airplane, from Paris to New York. What an adventure! Her seatmate, a nice lady in blue, can't take all the wiggling and squirming and pretty soon Lisa has the whole row of seats to herself, so she lies down and takes a nice nap. Then a very nice airplane lady brings her a tray loaded with food, including a large orange juice with a cherry. But before she can finish eating and drinking, an announcement tells her to put on headphones and watch the movie. It's hard to see over the high seatbacks, so Lisa stands on her orange juice glass to watch. Unfortunately, a catastrophe occurs when the glass falls over, but she gets lots of help from the airplane lady and a special trip to the cockpit to meet the pilot and see all the airplane controls. Soon the plane lands and Lisa's uncle is waiting to show her all the sights of New York..... Ann Gutman and Georg Hallensleben have authored a simple, gentle story that really captures the essence of a little one on his/her first airplane trip. Her engaging text is perfect for pre-schoolers and early readers and Ms Gutman's endearing star character is delightfully depicted in Mr Hallensleben's beautiful artwork. Youngsters will love the vivid colors and humorous details. Lisa's Airplane Trip is a winner and a story children will want to read again and again.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best in the series, September 18, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Lisa's Airplane Trip (Hardcover)

My 2 year old daughter loves this book, and so do my husband and I! The illustrations are colorful and entertaining, and the text is engaging and easy to understand. My daughter loves to read along with this book. I also recommend "Lisa In New York", but I didn't care for some of the others in the series. This book is great and I highly recommend it.