Going Places

From School Library Journal K-Gr 2—When Rafael gets his contest kit to build a go-cart, he is thrilled. He loves to follow instructions, and he wants to win the big race. When he teams up with his neighbor Maya, they start to think outside the box, way outside. By combining Rafael's perfectly made-by-the-directions go-cart with Maya's bird-inspired design, they end up with an airplane. Before they can even respond to the ribbing of their classmates, the race has begun. After a slow start, their entry soars above the traditional go-carts and sails to the finish line, coming in first. The story and illustrations perfectly complement each other. The text captures the discovery of new ideas, teamwork, and the joys of creating. The art brings them all to life with detailed, cartoon digital pictures that show great facial expressions, the fun of building, and the action of the race while leaving plenty of white space so as not to overwhelm. A fun story that will get kids thinking (maybe even outside the box).—Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH From Booklist It’s a happy day in Mrs. Chanda’s classroom when the students are given identical kits for constructing go-carts to race in a contest. Rafael, who is good at following directions, and his classmate Maya, a dreamer with a practical bent, creatively combine their kits to build a small plane. On contest day, a classmate scoffs at their contraption, but Maya and Rafael’s vehicle soars above the go-carts to win the race. The closing spread offers a preview of their next project: a frog-inspired amphibious craft. Pared down to essentials, the text reads aloud well. In the artwork, the settings and expressive characters are defined by bold, black lines. Most illustrations are bright with colors, though the occasional picture, such as a night scene showing the children silhouetted against the sky, uses black, white, and shades of purplish gray. Like David Gordon’s Your New JETT-Pup Owner’s Manual (2011) and Viviane Schwarz’s Welcome to Your Awesome Robot (2013), this satisfying picture book inspires can-do attitude combining imagination, invention, and engineering. Preschool-Grade 3. --Carolyn Phelan Paul A. Reynolds is CEO of Fablevision Studios, where he oversees creative strategy on all major initiatives, as well as overseeing the many teams who execute on that vision. He also teaches digital media production at Boston College, where he has been inspiring students for nearly two decades to use media, storytelling, and technology to tell “stories that matter, stories that move.” He lives with his family in Dedham, Massachusetts, where they run a book and toy shop called the Blue Bunny.Peter H. Reynolds is the bestselling author and illustrator of I’m Here , The Dot , and Ish ; and illustrator for the #1 New York Times bestseller Someday by Alison McGhee. He is also the illustrator of Going Places , Little Boy , Charlie and Kiwi , and the Judy Moody series. He lives in Dedham, Massachusetts, where he is co-owner of the Blue Bunny bookstore. Visit Peter at PeterHReynolds.com. Read more