Planes Fly!: with audio recording

by George Ella Lyon, Mick Wiggins (Illustrator)

From the author of Trucks Roll!, an up-in-the-clouds exploration of all things airplane.World’s mighty bigbut there’s just one skyand it’s yours to travel. Planes fly! Take to the skies with this fun, rhyming book about all that planes do! From jet planes to puddle jumpers, from the cockpit to the rudders, this book explores it all—and the bright, dynamic illustrations will keep even the youngest of readers engaged.

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Childrens, Aeroplanes, Transport, Poetry, Nonfiction

40 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 23, 2013

About the author

George Ella Lyon is a Kentucky author who has published in many genres, including picture books, poetry, juvenile novels, and articles.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Planes all over in their various forms. Neo loved learning about planes in this rhyming story. From passenger jets to skywriters and even those that help douse fires. Neo hopes that we can go on a plane again soon, so he can tell others all about the various planes that travel in the friendly skies.

[Jessica Calaway · Rating 2 out of 5]

4 - 8 years

[Sunday · Rating 5 out of 5]

yon plays with rhyming language as he takes the reader on an exploration of different kinds of planes, plane parts, the people who work on and with planes –

"Bi-planes

Tri-planes

gotta-love-the-sky-planes.

Prop planes

jet planes

how-fast-can-you-get-planes.

Planes fly!"

This could be an entertaining read aloud in preK-kindergarten that offers opportunities to play with rhyming language while also deepening children’s understanding of air transportation with domain specific vocabulary like cockpit, yoke pedals, dials and details like “pilots on the skyroad logging in the miles.” This text is an introduction – in that there is no labeling, no endpapers with more information (which I think should have been included), no further explanation. You can infer what the author is talking about from the illustrations for the most part, but children might want to learn more. Our youngest writers could engage in research, sketching and labeling.

[Stephanie Chiaro · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly didn't like this book. I just thought it was two books in one; one of the books described planes, the many different types and what they do, and the other book seemed to tell a story about the reader experiencing what it is like to be in an airplane. There was no distinction between stories, just all of a sudden, the book turns into more of a narrative.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

June 2017 - I like the retro illustrations, and the text is simple enough to share this with a toddler, but I wish there were some small labels on each type of plane for kids who want that info. Ben really liked it.

[Lara Lamb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a creative, rhyming book that can be used to teach children about different types of airplanes and their purposes. I enjoyed that it discussed not only the big planes like jetliners but also talks about puddle jumpers and other lesser known types.

[David Wylie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Give a miss next time

Poor value for money. Only a few minutes reading although the pictures were colourful. Could buy elsewhere similar stories on apps much cheaper

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little airplane enthusiasts are sure to love this book. All it lacks is a story line.

[BiblioBeruthiel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't generally love these kinds of rhyming books, but I really appreciate how much actual information is in this one.

[Elizabeth Moreau Nicolai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great rhyming book with bright illustrations for storytime. Works well for toddlers or preschoolers.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Little kids book showing different types of planes. Stella at 24 months didn't love it, despite loving pointing at planes in the sky.

[Diego Carrillo]

Explains how planes work, different types of planes and how to behave on a plane. Great for older kids.

[Neh · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was a short and sweet book

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rhyming text about planes, parts of planes, and a first plane flight.

[Richie Partington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richie's Picks: PLANES FLY! by George Ella Lyon and Mick Wiggins, ill., Richard Jackson/Atheneum, July 2013, 40p., ISBN: 978-1-4424-5025-7

"I'm leaving on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again"
-- written by John Denver in 1966, it became Peter, Paul and Mary's only #1 hit

These days, I can pull up Kayak's website, quickly determine the best prices between a dozen airlines over a month's time, and then compare them to Southwest -- where you get two free checked bags. I make my selection, and all that's left to do is type in my credit card number and email address.

It wasn’t always this simple. While, technically, there have been short-distance commercial airline flights going back nearly one hundred years, commercial flight in the U.S. was far more focused on mail and cargo until after WWII when, in the nineteen-fifties, the refinement of jet planes ushered in the beginnings of the commercial airline industry that we take for granted today.

I'm not sure whether that means that I've now been around for a really long time, or the modern U.S. airline industry is a lot younger than today's young folks might imagine.

But what I really want to know is this: Who was the first U.S. school kid to fold up a paper airplane and send it flying across the classroom while the teacher had his or her back turned to write on the blackboard?

I really love the silhouettes of kids flying paper airplanes on the front endpapers of PLANES FLY! This is followed by the cloud trail across the copyright and title pages of a prop plane that has just done three loop-the-loops.

There is an engaging retro style to the illustrations in PLANES FLY! They do a great job of showing us the relatively immense size of planes compared to workers on the runway, and nicely complement the rhyming and rhythmic text that explores airplane terminology, airplane types, airplane uses, and then:

"Fasten your seat belt.
Stow your stuff.
Feel wheels bounce
when the runway's rough."

In six spreads, we are inside a jet with a couple of young twenty-first century kids who, with their parents, are experiencing a cross-country daytime-into-nighttime flight. We get a great feel of what will be happening and what we can be doing.

(It doesn't look like me, but the grownup taking the nap is me. My own fear of flying consists of my wondering how stupid I look and sound as I sleep through several time zones.)

PLANES FLY! well serves our wonder and awe about those jets making lines across the sky, and our nervousness about our first airborne experiences.

Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
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[Marsha Valance · Rating 4 out of 5]

A basic, current look at all aspects of the airplane.

[Mia Valdez Quellhorst · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Squish likes all things planes. His first sentence, in sign language, was MORE PLANES. He adores this book. Mom likes it too. The poetry is smooth yet interesting, informative yet playful. The illustrations are lush with color, detail, and life. This book contains verse and pictures concerning aspects of air travel that are often overlooks in children's literature: control towers, taxiing on the run way, having a snack and a nap on the plane, unloading and saying bye to the flight crew. It's a good thing I enjoy this book: I've read it more than ten times already and if Squish gets his way, I'll read it ten times more.

[Kim Bogren Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both Planes Fly! by George Ella Lyon and Mick Wiggins and Boat Float! by George Ella Lyon, Benn Lyon, and Mick Wiggins explore different types of boats and planes. For a science experiment, have the children make paper airplanes and see what types flies the best and furthest. My son's school used tape to show how far each plane went and then gave the children a measuring tape to measure how far each one went. You can also make boats out of paper or aluminum foil to see which ones float best.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes I just don't think we need anymore plane books. There's nothing wrong with this one, but the rhyming text is pretty boring, and the illustrations aren't much different from other flying-themed picture books. I do like the way "Planes fly!" is repeated as a refrain throughout the book, but I wish it occurred more predictably so story time audiences would know when to chime in.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

In rhyming text, airplanes and flying are presented with glorious illustrations. The last third of the book captures the feel of a commercial flight. The text brings energy and excitement to the idea of flight and travel. A few of the rhymes are a bit awkward but it's still a very readable text.

Recommended for preschool-aged readers, especially those excited about planes and flying.

[James Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

My picture book read out loud would be the book, "Planes Fly!" I thought that this book would work nicely as a read out loud book for groups since it is mostly poetry that coincides with flying and planes. I found that the illustrations are bright and colorful and really showcase the idea of how planes fly fast and high in the sky.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about flying, especially in planes, from a variety of planes, and their parts, to the flight itself and finally to the landing. It’s all in rhyme, and cleverly done with pages filled with colorful, gorgeous and energetic illustrations.

[Yahira Romero · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is best for young children and children beginning to read. The word count on each page is small and is an easy read. Their are challenging words but parents or adults near by can help and give children confidence to continue reading.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

One long poem talks about planes and flying. Good rhythm to the the the illustrations are lovely.

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one of the worst books I have ever read to my five year old. If I could rate this a zero I would. When an author attempts to rhyme, the rhyme must flow and make sense and this one doesnt.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't a huge fan of the refrain, "Planes fly!", but otherwise it was a great transportation book with GORGEOUS illustrations.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun read aloud book. One boys will choose!

[Wanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

NICE job! Rhymes easily with great vocabulary and a singing rhythm. Art is good, strong bold colors and recognizable objects. Very good for interactive storytelling.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A picture book about all things plane for the preschool set. Great illustrations. The text is rhyming, but sometimes stretches too far to create the rhyme ("Big air buses/ room-for-all-of-us-es.")

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good rhymes in a great rhythm, screen-printy-looking art with a blocky, midcentury feel.