I’ve spent the last eight years racking up more than 160,000 frequent flyer miles with my daughter during our annual jaunts from Wisconsin to Hawaii. If all goes according to plan, we can get from our home to my parents’ house in roughly 18 hours.
Of course, things rarely go according to plan.
Honestly, I’ve lost track of how many hours I’ve spent in various airplanes and airports with a young child who would rather be anywhere other than in an airplane or airport.
What I do recall are all of the mistakes I’ve made during those seemingly endless flights.
Fortunately, I’ve learned a thing or two from my myriad of mess-ups.
One of the most important: Distract, distract, distract.
The key to surviving any type of trip with any type of kid is to arm yourself with a bag full of distractions.
My latest weapon of choice: Everything Goes: In the Air.
Author and illustrator Brian Biggs outdoes himself in this masterfully crafted picture book that is a must-have for families traveling with kids.
Forget about the iPad, iPod, handheld video games or other battery-powered mobile devices. Everything Goes in the Air is a kid-friendly boredom buster that will keep your child entertained for hours. No wires, sockets or chargers are needed for this interactive story to unfold; rather, the fun is fueled solely by your child’s curiosity and imagination.
You don’t want to leave home without this charming book which follows young Henry as he prepares for his inaugural airplane ride. From the first page to the last, Biggs keeps young bookworms busy. When they aren’t learning interesting facts about jets, helicopters, gliders, blimps and hot air balloons, they’ll be poring over eye-popping pictures searching for missing babies.
Cute, chubby, half-naked babies.
Five mischievous tots, clad only in diapers, have escaped from their stroller in the same busy airport that Henry and his folks are navigating through. The babies are hidden amongst dozens of whimsically drawn airport patrons in an homage of sorts to Where’s Waldo.
Everything Goes: In the Air is a feast for the eyes. There are so many detailed drawings and hilarious speech bubbles, your little page turners will be completely mesmerized.
My daughter’s favorite part of the book is a two-page spread highlighting the airport’s security area. That’s where you’ll find a robot trying to get through the metal detector, a Santa Claus look-alike who sheds more than just his shoes during the screening process; plus, a pirate and magician who refuse to take flight without their feathery and fuzzy companions.
My favorite is the penguin seated in the first-class cabin of Henry’s jet who’s clutching his stomach and complaining that he doesn’t fly well.
Before you take-off on your high-flying adventure, consider picking up Everything Goes: In the Air. The oversized read is packed with plenty of vibrant illustrations; however, the images are thoughtfully placed on the pages and not strewn about as though an illustrator’s pen vomited on reams of glossy paper.
Take a look for yourself by visiting HarperCollins’ website, and then get your own copy online or at discount stores nationwide.