Description
Product Description
What do you do with an old red wagon?
Well, that depends. If the wagon in question is a strust old Radio Flyer discovered while exploring the attic with your dad, and if you have a penchant for flying machines, then you may have just found the perfect way to get your dreams off the ground.
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 2—On Saturday a boy discovers his father's old Radio Flyer in the attic. As the week progresses, he thinks of flying and builds wings for the wagon, which break off when he tries to take off on a wooden ramp. His father is a continual presence—pulling him in the wagon, working beside him in the garage, running to see about him when he crashes, and, finally, sharing his flight of imagination. Subtle alliteration moves the story through the week, as in "Wednesday was wet./We had to wait." Full-color spreads are oversize and beautifully done in oil paints. Still, they scarcely contain Pullen's powerful images of a young boy working out his dream of flying. The boy's head is large, his face is expressive, and he bears an unmistakable resemblance to his dad. The final spread—father and son together in the Radio Flyer, their eyes closed, their arms outstretched, their bodies tilted as if in flight—is take-your-breath-away wonderful. This is a strong first purchase, affirming the bond between boys and their fathers as well as the power of imagination.—
Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Zachary Pullen's witty, character-oriented illustrations have been featured in
Sports Illustrated, the
New York Times Book Review, and the
Wall Street Journal. He hails from beneath the big skies of Wyoming -- a fact clearly evident in these paintings -- and currently lives in upstate New York with his wife, Renate. This is his first picture book.