The Little Airplane

Mr. Small #3

by Lois Lenski

Mr. Small is a high-flying pilot in this adventure! Pilot Small prepares for his flight, and then enjoys the bird’s-eye view from above. As fresh today as when it was first published, this fun and informative look at flying is perfect for airplane trips.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Transport, Fiction, Classics

56 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1938

About the author

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lois_Lenski

Many of Lenski's books can be collated into 'series' - but since they don't have to be read in order, you may be better off just looking for more information here: http://library.illinoisstate.edu/uniq...

Probably her most famous set is the following:
American Regional Series

Beginning with Bayou Suzette in 1943, Lois Lenski began writing a series of books which would become known as her "regional series." In the early 1940s Lenski, who suffered from periodic bouts of ill-health, was told by her doctor that she needed to spend the winter months in a warmer climate than her Connecticut home. As a result, Lenski and her husband Arthur Covey traveled south each fall. Lenski wrote in her autobiography, "On my trips south I saw the real America for the first time. I saw and learned what the word region meant as I witnessed firsthand different ways of life unlike my own. What interested me most was the way children were living" (183).
In Journey Into Childhood, Lenski wrote that she was struck by the fact that there were "plenty of books that tell how children live in Alaska, Holland, China, and Mexico, but no books at all telling about the many ways children live here in the United States"

Bayou Suzette.
Strawberry Girl.
Blue Ridge Billy.
Judy's Journey.
Boom Town Boy.
Cotton in My Sack.
Texas Tomboy.
Prairie School.
Corn-Farm Boy.
San Francisco Boy.
Flood Friday.
Houseboat Girl.
Coal Camp Girl.
Shoo-Fly Girl.
To Be a Logger.
Deer Valley Girl.

Reviews

[Kid · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series of books is perfect if you have a child with specific obsessions like airplanes or firefighters. I got so tired of books that just show pictures of different planes and explain a little a bit about each one. This follows a pilot from take-off to landing, providing all the little details that you think would bore your child but actually fascinate him.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little board book about a plane, perfect for the littles.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Little Airplane I've enjoyed the Mr. Small books in the past though this one was new-to-me. It was originally published in 1938 and I can just imagine how thrilled children of the day were since airplanes were still so new and exciting then. The illustrations are charming. The text, to me, is a little tedious and dry in places, but then my two boys were riveted and I think it contains the type of "how to" details that many children really enjoy. For example:

"Pilot Small decides to make a right turn. He pushes the stick to the right. This lowers the aileron on the left wing and raises the aileron on the right wing. At the same time, he presses on the rudder bar with his right foot, turning the rudder to the right. The plane banks and turns to the right. Then he straightens the rudder and puts the stick back in neutral, to come out of the turn. He continues on a straight course."

I would absolutely recommend it to any young readers today with an interest in airplanes.

[Heidi Burkhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the simplicity of Lenski's illustrations and text. I think that young children who are interested in "how things work" would love this.

[Jacinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book whilst holding my son in my arms which turned the story into some real life zooming and spinning through the air which he absolutely loved. As far as stories go, it's a fairly basic story that details the process of Mr Small's flight. In the process it also can be used to introduce elements of perspective (commenting on how small people look from up high in the air), weather (how the clouds look from above) and of course most obviously about airplanes/airports as well.

[Edith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweetly technical. Son loves it.

[Angie Libert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute toddler aged book with some big vocabulary words.

[Jocelin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read, fun story about the adventures of a little pilot and his little airplane.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

First sentence: Pilot Small has a little airplane. He keeps it in the hangar at the airport.

Premise/plot: Pilot Small stars in Lois Lenski’s The Little Airplane, a picture book originally published in 1938. While there was something simplistic about Cowboy Small and the Little Sailboat, I found this one to be technical and complex. It offers a perhaps dated but nonetheless detailed look at piloting a small aircraft.

My thoughts: This one offers the slightest of stories. It is packed with information. I can imagine little boys with dreams of flying one day might have really enjoyed this one.

Text:3/5
Illustrations:3/5
Total:6/10

[Lynnette · Rating 5 out of 5]

a fantastic little board book about flying an airplane. this would be perfect for babies or super young toddlers but my almost 3-year-old enjoys it as well. there aren't very many words on a page, the pictures are interesting but simple, and the story is easy to follow. I had a hunch this was older but I didn't realize it was originally published in the 1930s!

[Brian Bates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet book. Not my favorite of the Smalls books by Lois but definitely a good read your children will likely love. It was a little too detailed with all the plane parts for my child reading enjoyment. Sweet though!

[Miss Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Among the high stack of airplane books, "Captain Small!" is consistently requested. If it had been written after the 2000s, the ending would have been an invited and predictable surprise. Maybe in the modern sequel?

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Small is a high-flying pilot in this adventure! Pilot Small prepares for his flight, and then enjoys the bird’s-eye view from above. As fresh today as when it was first published, this fun and informative look at flying is perfect for airplane trips.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mom: This is a very technical little book. I was impressed by the vocabulary and the amount of detail.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone donated an old copy of this book to the library. A fun memory from my childhood...a lovely book! I wonder of there Mrs. Small or Miss Small books?

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found out about this series through AmblesideOnline.org.

[Donna Mork · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story about a pilot, detailing how the levers work etc. Very nice.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the way this book is written to reach out and be understandable to children. Cute story.

[Nel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the board book to my 2 y/o and 9 month old and they both enjoyed it.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

my grandkids love this book!!!!!!!!

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pictures were cute, but the story was lacking.

[Ian Lathrop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soared to new heights.

[Alana · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a little outdated with the pictures but the basics of the plane are fine. Kiddo loved it!

[Lee]

Kinda cute, but not really my thing.

[Hezekiah Huang · Rating 4 out of 5]

The airplanes keep reminding me of agong ama

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you ever time travel back to 1930 and emergency need to fly a plane, you will be all set if you've read this book. Way more mechanical detail than any other Papa Small book.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Up to this point my nephew and I have really enjoyed these "Mr. Small" books by Lois Lenski. This one was a little harder to enjoy, though. There is a lot of technical stuff in here about how Pilot Small gets his airplane to perform as it does, and I guess that's all well and good if the child you're reading this book to is all about airplanes. The text is longer and more detailed than other Mr. Small books, and this one didn't hold my four year old nephew's attention quite as well as books like Cowboy Small, The Little Auto, or The Little Farm. He still liked the book, but I don't think he was captivated by it.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was on my shelf before I started school. It had belonged to a cousin of mine -- older, male, only child, who did not take care of his books. I remember not liking the story (and thereafter avoiding any books about airplanes). Several of the pages had tears.

So, my rating is based on my 4-year-old opinion. If I ever read this again, I might change my rating.

[Mely · Rating 3 out of 5]

Updated review: April 18, 2022
2.5 stars
That's a lot of technical information about flying an airplane. Went over my 7 year old's head.

Original review: 2019
This little picture book is too complex for my four-year-old to understand. We more enjoyed it just for the vintage style illustrations. This would be better suited for the 8+ kiddos. Lengthy text. Detailed information on how Pilot Small flies his plane.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming children's story book about Pilot small and his airplane. Written in simple enough language for children to understand, yet technical enough to challenge them and learn flight terms. It also shows the importance of safety and the value of figuring out and fixing problems that arise. Definitely one I would enjoy reading over and over to my son (;