Little Plane Learns to Write

Certain letters often bedevil those who are new to writing. For Savage’s newbie skywriting hero, it’s O: “loopity-loops made him dizzy.” His flight instructor, a stern gray plane, won’t let Little Plane off the hook: after all, without O, words like “cloud” or “rainbow” are just fluffy letters hanging in the sky. But Little Plane finds his inner grit, and using a gorgeous full moon as a kind of practice track, he masters his Os and becomes a first-class writer. The story feels more slight and rushed than Savage’s previous vehicular-themed books: Little Plane’s big turning point gets barely a beat in the narrative before he’s circling the moon, and there aren’t as many of the jazzy, streamlined environments that usually make Savage’s books such a visual treat. But the moonlit scenes add real romance and drama to the final pages, and like the stars of Little Tug, Mixed-Up Truck, and Supertruck before him, Little Plane is an enterprising hero who radiates eagerness and energy. Ages 3–6. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (June)