Customer Reviews

The Little Airplane (Lois Lenski Books)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While the text may be lengthy for toddlers (I have a 3-1/2 year old who loves this book, borrowed from the library, that I'm buying him a copy), this is certainly a book that grows with the child. The engaging, simple pictures allow for much imaginative story telling (who ever said parents are supposed to read every word when the child isn't ready?), moving into reading more and more of the text as the child grows older. I trained for a private pilot license, and the details given are simple and factual; just the kind of real stuff that children interested in airplanes would want to know; it's stuff they absorb readily if the subject interests them. I'm glad to see these books back in circulation. The other books in Lois Lenski's series are great, too.

I don't know what the board book is like, but the rating of Baby-Preschool isn't accurate, at least for the 56-page Hard- and Paperback editions. This book is also great for older children who want to know more about the basic mechanics of airplanes and flight.

This book was a gift and I originally thought that it was too detailed to be interesting to my 22-month-old son. However, it has a very calming quality and he insists on it every night before bedtime. The adventures move along frequently enough to hold his interest, without being overly stimulating. And he can identify elements he likes from the drawings, such as the propeller, the wind sock, the hangar, and the car on the ground.

His father and I appreciate the accurate details. I'm now on-line looking for other books by Lois Lenski, hoping that they, too, will be a hit for us.

This review was actually written by the father of the child to whom I gave the book. He is a pilot as is the child's grandfather.
"The plane looks just like a red Piper Clipper, so Grandpa Tom will be delighted. Clearly written by someone who has flown taildraggers, as it is a perfect and simple primer in how to fly one properly. I wish I'd had that down in Florida [where he took flying lessons]..."

This little book is a basic lesson in how airplanes work and would be a great prologue if you're reading HATCHET by gary paulsen in which the kid learns to fly a prop plane the hard way. Introduces all the basic elements of fixed wing flight in non-cutesy language. Also would be a fine book for first-time flyers to reassure them that airplanes do indeed NOT fall out of the sky.

Lovely illustrations, a pleasure to read. My daughter is interested in planes and though Pilot Small is male, he looks androgynous enough that I substitute "he" for "she" so that she knows that she could be a pilot too.

We introduced this book to our twin sons when they were about 18 months, and within a few readings they could point to the propeller, the rudder, etc., in each of the illustrations. It quickly became a favorite of theirs and has remained so for over a year. Lois Lenski's text is simple but not dumbed-down, so my boys (and I!) learned real information about airplanes and pilots. A few weeks ago, we were traveling by plane to visit my family, and my then 34-month-old son, Walt, saw the pilot approach the gate. Walt said he wanted to ask the pilot a question, so I introduced him. Walt asked, "Does your plane have an aileron?" Captain Rick was totally impressed: "I certainly didn't know French when I was his age," was his reply. Most two year-olds seem to learn dozens of names of useless cartoon characters - why not give them the opportunity to absorb concrete, factual information, and pique their interest in the world around them?

This is a fantastic book for kids 5 and older. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is nice. The reason I would give to older kids is because the text is pretty detailed on how the airplane works and is a little too long for younger children.

We introduced our son to this book when he was about 18 mos old, along with some other children's books about airports and flying (preparatory to a cross-country flight.) At first, we read only a few lines of each page -- just enough to set the context -- but he always loved the pictures.

I find the 1940's artwork to have just the right mix of rich color and limited detail to engage a young one's imagination. Personally, I find many of the computer-generated graphics nifty but a little cold and soul-less -- give me human animation from Clement Hurd, Eric Carle, Byron Barton or the like any day....

As our son has grown older (he's 2 1/2 now) we read more of the text. You can tell how much they want to hear of it as you start reading, and adjust your reading accordingly. Our son has always enjoyed this book and will ask for it regularly. I've done some flying in small planes, and the description is right-on -- Lenski definitely did good research for this book! Part of the magic of this book is its ability to place the child right there in the story. My son identifies with Pilot Small and will often say "I'm Pilot Small!" when he's strapping himself into his booster seat or "flying" around the living room in cardboard box.

The book is a classic and I think it's timeless. If you've got a little one who is interested in airplanes, this book is a must-have!

This is a great little book that my son loves. We bought if after we fell in love with Cowboy Small by Lois Lenski. However, I have found that the books about the characters have very simple text and plots, but the ones about vehicles tend to be VERY detailed. I feel like after reading this book I could fly a 1940's airplane (the same goes for the little sail boat and little train in hard back, I think the text in the board books is a little more basic). My son is almost 3 and sticks with the story and still asks for it every night, but it is not nearly as age appropriately story wise as policeman small, cowboy small, or the smalls.

Amazon has this book listed as being appropriate for the "baby-preschool" level. That may be true for the illustration style, but the story is quite lengthy and detailed. My son is 3 1/2 and barely has the attention span to sit through this story, and he's an airplane fanatic.

The book is one of a series written by Lenski with similar illustation styles (two color line drawings) and a cast of characters with names like "Small" and "Shorty." The star of The Little Airplane is Pilot Small who takes out his little propeller plane for a leisurely spin, experiences some slight malfunctions, but lands safely, repairs the plane, and returns to the airport.

What makes the story lengthy are the details about how the plane is flown. We are told about which controls he uses in the cockpit to control the rudder, ailerons and elevator. We are brought through his safety checklist and the sequence of events that gets the plane into the air. The details set this book apart from many others written for young children. I've read many, many books about planes to my son and I learned something new from this one.

Unfortunately, I think the time has passed for the Lenski "Small" series. It appears to have been written originally for older children, back when printing technology was limited. Today, children have much more engaging illustrations competing for their attention, so this book seems dull in appearance. Unfortunately, the detailed text is may not be enough to engage a child who is young enough to accept the old fashioned appearance.

I think the audience for this book is quite limited. If you know a 3 or 4 year old who already has an exceptional knowledge of planes and flight, you may do well with this book. We found Lenski's book The Little Train to be much more enjoyable. It is a bit shorter and less bogged down with detail.