This is a really fun exploration of planes and how they work. Karl the kiwi, a pink pear-shaped bird, looks sadly at the other birds and wishes he could fly. Then he gets the idea to go to the library and starts learning about aerodynamics. Blocks of text walk readers through the forces that keep planes in the air and moving, what training pilots need, and how airports work. There's also a quick section on historical planes, the effect of weather conditions, other flying machines, and what the future might hold. The book ends with a spread showing the cockpit of a plane and an invitation to "fly" the plane.
The pages are thin cardboard, but this is not by any means a traditional board book. The chunks of text make this something to share one-on-one with a child interested in the science of flight or for a fluent reader to browse through on their own, not something I'd use in a storytime.
Verdict: This book does a great job of explaining complicated concepts simply and the addition of the kiwi makes it fun without being too childish. A strong addition to collections of vehicles, I will be looking for other books in this series to add.
ISBN: 9788000070995; Hardcover/Picture book on Baker & Taylor for $14.20