Hello, friends! Our book today is Big Stuff: Planes, Rockets, Spacecraft!, written by Joan Holub and illustrated by The Little Friends of Printmaking, a neat board book introduction to various aeronautical and astronautical vehicles.

Aspiring high-fliers and young fans of big machines are introduced to twenty different types of aircraft and spacecraft through adorable anthropomorphized illustrations and tons of fascinating information. Diagrams and fun facts explore the science and history behind machines like rockets, hot-air balloons, and jet planes. Young readers can learn about the past behind this “big stuff,” and where the sciences of flight and space exploration are headed in the future.

Extremely informative and accessible. This board book presents a wonderful midway point between simple identification and more in-depth scientific principles by keeping the STEM and historical information easy-to-digest. Most of the facts are presented in first-person from the air- and spacecrafts themselves, giving it a personal and approachable tone without dumbing any of the science down. Some characterizations of military vehicles do feel a little disingenuous of their purpose (“We work hard protecting your family and this nation,” a pack of fighter jets proclaim), but for the most part, the dialogue and information covered centers more around function and design than practical use. The artwork is both cute and cool, and will appeal to young vehicle-lovers immensely. The length is best for when little bookworms have time to sit down and pour over the info; you could read it as a storytime book, but you would need to skip most of the more detailed sections to do so. JJ did enjoy this though, and we would recommend it; Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)