Wings, Wheels and Sails

Ray Doiron is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Education at the
University of Prince Edward Island and the Preschool to Grade 6
nonfiction reviews co-ordinator at Resource Links.

The bright format and full-color photographs will attract many young
readers to this introduction to air and water transportation. While
there is some mention in the text of very early means of transportation,
the focus is on vehicles that use wheels, wings, or sails. Complex
concepts such as transportation, hydrofoil, monorail, and propeller are
developed simply and effectively. The text could be read easily by most
children in Grades 1 and 2, an age group that is quite fascinated with
vehicles and how they move us from place to place.

Boldface words, a simple index, a glossary of terms, and a table of
contents help introduce young children to the many tools used by writers
of information books. The vehicles presented were chosen to illustrate
the concepts being developed, but also with an eye for what examples
would have high appeal for young children. This book would be useful for
classroom studies of transportation and a good addition to a school or
public library. Recommended.