Little Red Plane

Even the Wright brothers might have applauded the snazzy paper engineering in this die-cut book, a literal flight of fancy. Pull-tabs and flaps let armchair aviators guide a red, twin-propellor beauty from takeoff (``Check the wing flaps... remove the wheel chock'') to landing. Among the clever touches here: as readers shift a steering wheel from side to side, the view through the windshield shifts, too; a cardboard microphone is attached via a cord to the cockpit's radio; fastened by a similar cord, the nozzle of a refueling truck fits into the plane's gas tank. Wilson-Max's text strikes just the right blend of precision and exuberance (``Whee! It's a beautiful day for flying'') and his vibrant artwork, with its boldly outlined, chunky images, suggests the work of an airborne Lucy Cousins. Altogether first-class. Ages 3-6. (Sept.)