Roller Coaster [Paperback]

Marla Frazee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2006 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years

Clickity, clackity.
Clickity, clackity.

The roller coaster car is going up, up, up to the highest spot. And at least one of the people in the car has never ridden on a roller coaster before . . . ever. Wheeeeeeee!

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

All sorts of people ride roller coasters, people over a certain height that is. Marla Frazee zooms in on one pony-tailed girl who has never experienced a roller coaster before, ever, in this start-to-finish ride. The anticipation builds much like it does in real-life: "S-l-o-w-l-y the train is pulled up the hill by a chain. Clickity, clackity. Clickity, clackity. Up. Up. Up. And then..." As the train zips and zooms and dips and dives, the pony-tailed girl in the very front seat loves every minute, or almost. In the end, "Most of these people are dizzy./ Some of them have wobbly knees./ But at least one of them is planning/ to ride the roller coaster again." Frazee's crisply detailed watercolor drawings of waiting people, happy people, terrified people, and dizzy people are fun to peruse. Youngsters who are Disneyland-bound (or who would just like to be) may be the best audience for this minute-by-minute replay of a roller-coaster ride. (Ages 4 to 7) --Karin Snelson --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1-Get ready to dip, dive, whoosh, and zoom away on this delightful ride. Frazee handily captures the anticipation and excitement, as well as the fear people experience on these amusement-park attractions. The young protagonist is just tall enough to ride the colossal roller coaster, and it's his very first time. The faces of the diverse crowd waiting in line are quite expressive, and the exaggerated lines of the illustrations add to the lightheartedness of the story without sacrificing the realism. Frazee's humorous touch is perfectly suited to the simple story line, and when the ride gets going, the artist uses plenty of white space to set off the bold and exciting entertainment. The action is swift and palpable, with the text winding, dipping, and even turning upside down to follow the roller coaster's thrilling path.
Shelley B. Sutherland, Niles Public Library District, IL
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper; Reprint edition (June 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152057447
• ISBN-13: 978-0152057442
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 0.1 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,502 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #64 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Family Life > New Experiences
  • #75 in Books > Children's Books > Sports & Games > Sports

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of rolling. Not so much with the coasting. November 3, 2005

By E. R. Bird HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

I think I've finally pinpointed what it is about Marla Frazee I like so very much. It isn't her choice of stories necessarily (though after reading through her "New Baby Train" I know she has excellent taste). It's her people. Somehow or other she managed to give every tiny person in her books a distinct and completely original personality. I can't figure out how she does it either. The ultimate example of this has to be her fantastic 2003 creation, "Roller Coaster". Taking a concept so simple that I'm wondering why thousands of other authors hadn't thought of it first, Frazee walks us through the process of riding a roller coaster. From the first moments of anticipation to the final plunge and disembarking, our author/illustrator has taken a simple concept and turned it into picture book gold. Whether you've a kid fascinated by roller coasters, deeply afraid of them, or has never even HEARD of such contraptions in all their days, "Roller Coaster" is designed to delight and amuse.

A long line of people appears at a fairground. Ahead of them is a roller coaster named, "Rocket". As the line gets closer to the front, "Lots of people change their mind about riding the roller coaster at the very last minute". At long last, twelve lucky people climb into the cars. Some of them are excited while others appear calm and collected. Suddenly we're watching the people on the ride as they experience a simple variety of twists, turns, and loop-dee-loops. The passengers (each pair has their own particular story) deal with the roller coaster in a variety of different ways. The tough guys feel ill. The couple who appear to be on a first date snuggle closer as the ride goes on. The elderly couple in the straw hats adore every wild minute. And the little girl in the front becomes a roller coaster enthusiast by the end. The ride is done. The people get out. And the little girl insists on riding the coaster one more time.

The way Frazee sets up the book, the reader is bound to sympathize the most with the little girl who is riding a roller coaster for the very first time. It's wonderful to read through this book several times and catch the consistently interesting details that progress as the ride does. It took me several readings before I realized that the couple on the first date weren't all snuggly at the beginning. And there's a great moment where a woman, traveling with her son on the coaster, adjusts her hair carefully at the start only to end up with a slightly modified afro by the end. The tough guy who opts out of the line (and is derided by his buddies for doing so) stands over his two nauseous friends at the end of the book. Heck, even the tiny woman reading a red book at the very very first page is visible looking at the tough guys with concern at the book's end. Only fellow picture book illustrator Anno could be said to offer us quite as many tiny details. I love the sheer number of interracial couples in this book, by the way. Leave to Ms. Frazee to give us casual diversity where other illustrators would offer us none.

So let's recap. The story is fun, the illustrations whiz-bang (for lack of a better word), and the book a joy. Frazee even appears to include her own inside jokes in the story. Though I have no just cause to believe this, I am completely convinced that Marla Frazee inserted her husband and three sons on the first two-page spread of the book. There's something about the man's goatee that just struck me as a little too... knowing. Not that I have any evidence to back this theory up with, of course. But that's what's so nice about "Roller Coaster". Even when you've read it twenty times over, there's always something new to look at and enjoy. Great for kids, irregardless of their reading ability.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book! July 7, 2003

By Andrea Pike

Format:Hardcover

My husband designs roller coasters, and I wanted to get a book for our son who, someday, is going to be riding them! (He's 7 weeks old today :) This is a great book for kids who may be a little scared of roller coasters, and who need to know exactly what happens from waiting in line to getting back in line after the ride is over! Easy read and great pictures!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Whooooosh!!!!! July 19, 2004

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

My 4-year-old LOVES this book! It captures perfectly the trepidation, anticipation, excitement, chills and thrills of riding the roller coaster. The build-up of the story and the illustrations (especially the old couple in the second seat of the coaster) are fantastic! A great summer read, particularly if you're anticipating a trip to the amusement park.