Review: Roto and Roy by Sherri Duskey RInker

Today's read is one to make little airplane, truck, and adventure fans' hearts beat faster. I'm going to go out on a limb here and even claim that I haven't reviewed a helicopter book on here since the beginning of this blog ten or so years ago. So, this was one to pick up and head off into adventure with.

Ready for the ride?

ROTO AND ROY

Helicopter Heroes

by Sherri Duskey Rinker

Illustrated by Don Tate

Little, Brown and Company

Picture Book

ages 4 to 8

Meet Roto and Roy, helicopter heroes!

When a dangerous forest fire burns out of control, helicopter Roto and pilot Roy are ready to fly to the rescue! They're braver than brave, tougher than tough, and nothing will stop this firefighting crew from completing their mission.

From Sherri Duskey Rinker, bestselling author of the Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site series, and award-winning illustrator Don Tate, this action-packed series starter will have kids cheering for two awesome new heroes—and imagining how they might save the day themselves!

GOODREADS   /   AMAZON   /   B&N   /   BOOK DEPOSITORY

MY TIDBITS

Rotors, engines, flying, heroism, and adventure mark every page, while keeping the spirit of friendship and trust high.

Roto is an amazing helicopter and Roy is his pilot. They fit together tighter than a bolt to its nut and are ready to take on any task needed. After all, these two are destined to save the day no matter what obstacles are placed before them.

This is a bright, bold, and very colorful book. The illustrations are crisp and let every scene carry vividness on the page. The friendship is hard to miss, and the danger comes across clearly and yet never over the boarder, which could make readers uncomfortable. It does hold a cartoony atmosphere, and not just in the illustrations. The text also flows with a similar vibe.

The text is a little heavy for the youngest readers but works great for preschool/kindergarten ages and even is for those, who have a pretty good grip on words, on their own. The vocabulary also is just right, making this great for a read-aloud. I enjoyed the heroism portrayed in Roy (made me smile at the small dusting of cheesiness), but young readers are sure to eat it up. It radiates good deeds and valiance, which is never a bad thing, especially for this age group. The rhyming wasn't totally my thing, but it is smooth and flows well, and there were a couple scenes, which seemed to drag the pacing...still, it was packed with just the right level of excitement for the age group...not to mention that there are certainly a few helicopter fans, who will want to hear this one again and again and again.

And here they are...

Sherri Duskey Rinker is the author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site; Steam Train, Dream Train; Mighty, Mighty Construction Site; and Construction Site on Christmas Night. Her newest bestsellers in the Construction Site series include Construction Site Mission: Demolition! and Three Cheers for Kid McGear! Sherri lives with her husband and two sons in Illinois, and she invites you to visit her online at sherririnker.com.

Don Tate is an award-winning creator of William Still and His Freedom Stories: The Father of the Underground Railroad and the illustrator of Swish!: The Slam-Dunking, Alley-Ooping, High-Flying Harlem Globetrotters and Whoosh!: Lonnie Johnson's Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions, among others. Don lives with his wife and son in Austin, Texas, and he invites you to visit him online at dontate.com.