Jumbo

Starred review from June 15, 2020
In a properly lap- and eye-filling format (it has a 2-foot wingspan), a soaring tribute to the "Queen of the Skies." Following Go for the Moon (2019), Gall pays homage to another outsize triumph of engineering wizardry and industrial might. A mammoth machine two and a half times larger than any other jet liner of its time, Boeing's 747 is so big, he claims, that the Wright brothers could have made their entire first flight in its fuselage without leaving the coach section. It debuted in 1968 and, though now retired from domestic use, is still the fastest commercial passenger plane in the world. Drawn with Gall's customary clean precision, a mix of dramatically angled full-body portraits, glimpses of workers in a gigantic assembly plant, cutaway views of cockpit and spacious seating areas, detailed sectional diagrams of wings and engines, and flocks of smaller aircraft from a paper plane to a suddenly dinky-seeming 737 combine to underscore the scope of the technological achievement as well as both the sheer scale of the jet and of the effort that went into building it. There is also a dream-come-true element, as a red-haired, pale-skinned child frequenting the pictures through each stage of the leviathan's design and assembly makes a final appearance in the pilot's seat and turns out to be Lynn Rippelmeyer, the first woman to captain a 747. Clad in late-20th-century attire, the small human figures clustering throughout add a sense of period but are nearly all white. A blast from the past, sure to transport fans of all things big and loud. (glossary, source list, "fun facts," afterword) (Informational picture book. 7-9)

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July 1, 2020

K-Gr 3-Gall marks the 50th anniversary of the Boeing 747 with a wonderfully illustrated picture book about the plane's history and an overview of aerodynamics. The text explains the huge undertaking involved in building the Boeing 747, aka the "Jumbo Jet," and how it allowed more people to fly less expensively. The aerodynamics of how to fly the large plane are examined, and the uniqueness of the plane's construction is detailed. Throughout the book, a young girl explains the concepts with everyday examples, such as how holding your hand out of a car window creates drag. Overall, the book is well organized and easy to follow. Gall provides enough information to excite younger readers without overwhelming them. His dynamic illustrations will have children marveling for hours at the plane's awe-inspiring details. VERDICT This informative picture book is a fantastic purchase for all libraries and is destined to be loved by young airplane enthusiasts.-Katherine Rao, Palos Verdes Lib. Dist., CA

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 1, 2020
Grades K-3 *Starred Review* From the striking jacket art to the appended fast facts, this handsome volume delivers a good deal of information about the world's first jumbo jet, the Boeing 747. When it debuted in 1970, the 747 was significantly larger than existing airplanes. Its design entailed innovation and its assembly required a gigantic facility. Boeing constructed a building so tall that clouds formed above its rafters. Even today, it's the biggest building (by volume) on Earth. While Gall's text explains aspects of how the plane was built, his nicely composed, sometimes riveting digital pictures help readers understand the technical aspects of flight, such as gravity, lift, drag, thrust, and how pilots control an airplane's motion. Within the pictures, a girl becomes a visual stand-in for young readers as she makes a model airplane at home, demonstrates hydraulic brakes using her bicycle, and becomes a passenger on the jumbo jet's first commercial flight. One illustration hints that when she grows up, she will pilot a 747. In the appended author's note, Gall describes building, testing, and flying his own small plane, and his hands-on knowledge lends authority to the main text. An intriguing book for any kid who is passionate (or even a little curious) about planes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

July 20, 2020
Between its first flight in 1970 and its last in 2018, the Boeing 747 “transported the equivalent of 78 percent of the world’s population.” It’s an incredible statistic, but a fraught legacy given the realities of climate change. Gall avoids any discussion of the 747’s ecological consequences, centering instead the engineering challenge Boeing faced in designing the world’s largest passenger plane, then building it in just 28 months per the demands of Pan American Airlines. Incisive explanations of concepts such as gravity, lift, drag, and thrust; turbojets; the design process; and plane construction (“over 4.5 million pieces in a 747!”) shine alongside lucid, highly detailed realistic color illustrations and schematics peppered with plane parts, cross-sections, and relatable images, such as a girl braking a bike to depict hydraulics. Gall’s attention to detail dazzles, but the institutional-feeling narrative never quite soars. Includes “Fun Facts,” a glossary, and an author’s note about building a plane. Ages 5–8.