Readers can take a trip aboard a zipping, zooming, peaking, and plummeting roller coaster, in a colorful book with simple text and vibrant illustrations. An ALA Notable Children's Book. Reprint.
MARLA FRAZEE has illustrated many well-loved picture books, including Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers; Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild! by Mem Fox; as well as her own Santa Claus the World's Number One Toy Expert. She lives in Pasadena, California.
In this witty and exhilarating exegesis of a thrill ride, Frazee (Hush, Little Baby: A Folk Song with Pictures) takes readers for a trip on the "the Rocket," a roller coaster that looks like the letter "S" run amok. Slyly and deliberately building the tension with a step-by-step narrative, Frazee begins with the wait in line (including the last-minute defections), visually panning the passengers-to-be and using the type to direct readers' gaze to a girl ("At least one of them has never ridden on a roller coaster before, ever"). Finally it is time for the embarkation ("Now it is too late for anyone to change their mind") and the deliciously painful anticipation of the first descent ("S-l-o-w-l-y the train is pulled up the hill by chain"). With a "WHOOSH," the train becomes a blur of red that shoots through successive spreads of white space, zipping, zooming, dipping, diving and looping as it threatens to escape the pages' margins (the type turns red and swoops as well). The subject affords a marvelous showcase for Frazee's expressive watercolors: the widely variable responses of the riders supply sustained theater as the train hurtles through space, with degrees of ecstasy (or agony) triggered by each twist and turn. When the ride is over, the girl, no longer a novice, begs her teenage brother chaperone for an encore, "right now!" Frazee's readers are likely to follow suit. Ages 3-7. (May) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
"In this witty and exhilarating exegesis of a thrill ride, Frazee takes readers for a trip on a roller coaster that looks like the letter S run amok," wrote PW in a starred review. Ages 3-7. (July) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
PreS-Gr 1-Get ready to dip, dive, whoosh, and zoom away on this delightful ride. Frazee handily captures the anticipation and excitement, as well as the fear people experience on these amusement-park attractions. The young protagonist is just tall enough to ride the colossal roller coaster, and it's his very first time. The faces of the diverse crowd waiting in line are quite expressive, and the exaggerated lines of the illustrations add to the lightheartedness of the story without sacrificing the realism. Frazee's humorous touch is perfectly suited to the simple story line, and when the ride gets going, the artist uses plenty of white space to set off the bold and exciting entertainment. The action is swift and palpable, with the text winding, dipping, and even turning upside down to follow the roller coaster's thrilling path.-Shelley B. Sutherland, Niles Public Library District, IL Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
