Arguably the finest of the many books published for children in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers’ first flight on December 17, 1903, this scrapbook has it all: good looks; a meaty, quote-filled text that reads like a dream; scientific explanations children will inhale and understand; huge paintings, diagrams, archival photos, and a labeled drawing of the 1903 Wright Flyer to pore over; and cogent sidebar explanations of terms including wing-warping, the Wright wind tunnel they built to simulate flying conditions, and the three movements all aircraft make: pitch, roll, and yaw. (The next time they fly, your kids will understand how it all works, probably better than you do.) To round it off, the book also contains a list of important dates, a glossary, selected bibliography with books and websites, and an index. Nonfiction doesn't get any better than this.
Themes: AERONAUTICS. AIRPLANES. BIOGRAPHY. FLIGHT. INVENTORS. SCIENCE. WRIGHT BROTHERS.
- The pages are filled with large, sumptuous paintings that add a flavor of realism and an almost nostalgic feel. In addition, well-chosen images and reproductions help to inform the text.
- Harriett Fargnoli, School Library Journal
- Informative and well illustrated, this large-format book provides a solid introduction to the brothers' lives and accomplishments, and, more than in some biographies for young readers, clearly explains the challenges they faced at different stages of the Flyer's development.
- Carolyn Phelan, Booklist
- First to Fly, with oversized pages filled to capacity with archival photos; lucid boxed essays on topics like wing-warping and wind tunnels; and diagrams that explain such mysteries as pitch, roll and yaw, is also to be commended for going beyond Kitty Hawk.
- Abby McGanney Nolan, The New York Times
- Filled with wonderful photographs, illustrations, and full-page paintings, this is a truly impressive tribute to the Wright brothers and their extraordinary achievements.
- Marya Jansen-Gruber, Children