Going Places

Although it has the whiff of an inspirational speech, this tale by the Reynolds brothers has enough entertainment value to avoid feeling inspid. Rafael is a dedicated instruction-follower, while his neighbor Maya is the dreamy sort: "She was so intent on watching the bird in front of her, and quickly sketching it, that she didn't even notice Rafael." When their teacher gives the class identical "Going Places" go-cart kits for an upcoming contest, Rafael realizes that collaborating with Maya, who envisions a flying machine instead of a car, might help him to victory. Sure enough, they dominate the contest. While the message about outside-the-box thinking is impossible to miss, the book is also an observation about how opposite temperaments can lead to successful collaborations. Still, Maya is a strong figure; Rafael's view of her over the fence as she experiments with a set of geared wings and pedals is an encouraging vision of the "maker" child who prefers crafting things herself to watching them on a screen. Ages 4-8. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Mar.)

K-Gr 2--When Rafael gets his contest kit to build a go-cart, he is thrilled. He loves to follow instructions, and he wants to win the big race. When he teams up with his neighbor Maya, they start to think outside the box, way outside. By combining Rafael's perfectly made-by-the-directions go-cart with Maya's bird-inspired design, they end up with an airplane. Before they can even respond to the ribbing of their classmates, the race has begun. After a slow start, their entry soars above the traditional go-carts and sails to the finish line, coming in first. The story and illustrations perfectly complement each other. The text captures the discovery of new ideas, teamwork, and the joys of creating. The art brings them all to life with detailed, cartoon digital pictures that show great facial expressions, the fun of building, and the action of the race while leaving plenty of white space so as not to overwhelm. A fun story that will get kids thinking (maybe even outside the box).--Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH