Flying

Gibbons's bright pictures and uncomplicated text explore the history of flight, from France's first passenger balloon (""It carried a duck, a rooster and a sheep, and they all landed safely'') to today's space-shuttle missions. She mentions the various functions of different flying machines: planes that do crop dusting, carry freight, fight fires and advertise; helicopters that transport troops, report traffic conditions and rescue stranded sailors. For some reason, most of this information falls flat; at one point Gibbons describes the scene at an airport, material she already covered succinctly in her book, Airport. An overview of major breakthroughs in flight is provided, but with one error: Charles Lindbergh's name is misspelled. This is far from Gibbons's best work, but for those searching for a history of this sort, the information is capably handled. (48)