Cheri Stowers (Children's Literature)
An airplane soars above the clouds. A small boy with a big imagination looks up and envisions himself aboard the plane. Oh the fun they would have exploring and traveling together! They would glide over the cars below, soar past the speeding trains, sweep over the mountains and valleys, and overtake a plucky little boat sailing over the ocean waves. And best of all, they would zoom into outer space on an exciting journey to the moon! Upon arrival, the little boy would don his space suit and helmet. After a day of discovery and adventure he would head back home, back to his mother's open arms, back to his cozy bed where dreams of more plane adventures would tumble around in his head. A delightful read aloud. Children may enjoy creating their own adventure travel stories. Beautiful full-page illustrations done in soft muted tones are a perfect match for this tender tale. 2006, Henry Holt and Company, $16.95. Ages 2 to 5.

CCBC (Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices, 2007)
With a few carefully chosen words, deftly paced to set a tranquil tone, Peter McCarty describes a young boy’s imaginary flight to the moon and back. Seeing a plane overhead, the boy wonders what it would be like to be on board. He pictures flying over a land-bound car, train, and boat. Unlimited by physical boundaries, he even contemplates traveling to the moon, where he “would take a few steps, jump . . . / . . . and fly just like the airplane.” After his journey, he knows he can return home to his waiting mother, and to his bed, where he will dream again of flying above the earth. Listeners are carried along on the speculative journey, drawn in by the sense of wonder and possibility as they accompany the child on wanderings that are anchored by the security of home. Shades of gray and misty-colored pencil drawings, set against ivory-colored pages, perfectly complement the artful narrative’s dreamy mood. Winner, 2007 Charlotte Zolotow Award. CCBC Category: Picture Books for Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers. 2006, Henry Holt, 32 pages, $16.95. Ages 3-6.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2006 (Vol. 74, No. 16))
A boy's imagination carries him to great heights in this gentle adventure. When an airplane flies overhead, a small boy watches from the ground and wonders what it would be like to glide above a car on the highway, to soar past a train and to venture beyond a sailboat on the ocean. The aspiring little astronaut fantasizes traveling into outer space aboard the airplane and landing on the moon where he could jump and fly across the lunar landscape. But his imaginary moonwalk ends in time for him to be tucked safely into bed where he can pursue more aerial dreams. Softly shaded granular pencil drawings in muted grays echo the quiet text and capture the weightless wonder and timeless silence of flight in outer space. A simple and reassuring adaptation of the home-away/home-again theme with a lunar twist. Good bedtime fare. 2006, Henry Holt, 40p, $16.95. Category: Picture book. Ages 3 to 6. © 2006 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2007)
When a boy sees an airplane overhead he imagines what it would be like to fly to the moon. Soft pencil drawings (a la Chris Van Allsburg) with a light blush of color set on thick, creamy paper gracefully bring the boy's fantasy to life. The ending, however, seems abrupt, as he returns home and goes directly to bed. Category: Picture Books. 2006, Holt, 32pp, 16.95. Ages 4 to 9. Rating: 4: Recommended, with minor flaws.