Wheels, Wings, and Motors

From logs to rubber tires, hot air balloons to space probes, humans have made great strides in developing modes of transportation. Time lines, photographs, and eye-catching digital illustrations make this an engaging, visuals-centric look at history’s planes, trains, and automobiles (and boats and bicycles, too). Titled spreads present an introductory paragraph and captions that expand on the images, as well as occasional sidebars and “That’s Amazing!” or “Did You Know?” boxes with fun facts (“A duck, rooster, and sheep became the first-ever passengers to fly in a Montgolfier hot air balloon.”). Having learned about wheel-less maglev trains and other transportation marvels, readers can test their newfound knowledge with a concluding mix-and-match activity. Back matter includes a glossary, index, and link to publisher-selected Web sites.