Pilots and What They Do

PreS-Gr 1—Slegers asks readers to step into the cockpit of a passenger plane on its flight to a far-off country. The story examines various aspects of what a pilot does and how air travel works, including a look at the airport's control tower and a simplified explanation of how planes are able to take flight. The rudimentary illustrations use bright colors, soft shapes, and defined lines to present a friendly and safe glimpse at the life of a pilot. One factor that libraries may want to take into consideration is that all of the characters depicted—pilot, passengers, and crew—are white. The layout is consistent. Each page contains several lines of text, and some illustrations are labeled, including a description of the pilot's uniform. The level of the text and style of the illustrations make this one best suited to be read aloud to toddlers and preschoolers. While some early elementary students may enjoy exploring the text independently, there is sufficiently challenging vocabulary, such as altimeter and fuel indicator, that some guidance from an adult may be necessary.