From Barnes & Noble

The Barnes & Noble Review
Zoom along with a fast-as-lightning roller coaster in this awesome picture book from author/illustrator Marla Frazee.

In large, brisk illustrations that showcase a group of amusement park-goers riding "The Rocket," Frazee shows all the thrills of being on a "very big and very noisy" ride. After waiting in a giant line to get past the height checkpoint, a few adventurers hop aboard the next car and make their way up the hill: "S-l-o-w-l-y the train is pulled up the hill by a chain. Clickity, clackity. Clickity, clackity. Up. Up. Up." Down they all come with a "WHOOSH!" and head around the bends until the car comes to a stop, everyone piles out, and "at least one of them is planning to ride the roller coaster again."

A sleek book that will leave young readers aching for roller-coaster excitement, this is one rip-roarin' read! Frazee's artwork taps into the speed of the ride, and the nameless characters are fun to watch from page to page (particularly the macho guys who wind up getting the sickest). A great read-aloud that will keep any kid elated. Matt Warner

From the Publisher

"Captur[es] both the train's breathtaking speed and a hilarious range of rider reactions with consummate skill."?Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A sweet and cheerful book."?The New York Times Book Review 

From the Publisher

"Captur[es] both the train's breathtaking speed and a hilarious range of rider reactions with consummate skill."?Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A sweet and cheerful book."?The New York Times Book Review

The New York Times

Marla Frazee takes the reader at high velocity through a roller coaster ride from start to finish, following a little girl who isn't sure she wants to get on, with exuberant illustrations in graphite and superbright watercolors. ? Jeanne P. Binder

Publishers Weekly

"In this witty and exhilarating exegesis of a thrill ride, Frazee takes readers for a trip on a roller coaster that looks like the letter S run amok," wrote PW in a starred review. Ages 3-7. (July) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature

A young girl waits with nervous anticipation for her very first roller coaster ride. Is she tall enough? Will she change her mind at the very last minute? Some people do! The ride operator tells the waiting people to "Load em up!" and the girl and her Dad get into the car. A bell rings and the train starts. "Now it is too late for anyone to change their mind." Up the car goes and W H O O S H ! down it plummets with riders screaming, laughing and holding on as tight as they can. The roller coaster zips and zooms, dips and dives "and goes all-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l the way around." Much too quickly the ride is over and the girl, who had her eyes squeezed tightly shut as the ride began "is planning to ride the roller coaster again, right now!" A delightfully thrilling description of a roller coaster ride with full-of-life illustrations of people waiting, riding and surviving. 2003, Harcourt,
? Anita Barnes Lowen

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1-Get ready to dip, dive, whoosh, and zoom away on this delightful ride. Frazee handily captures the anticipation and excitement, as well as the fear people experience on these amusement-park attractions. The young protagonist is just tall enough to ride the colossal roller coaster, and it's his very first time. The faces of the diverse crowd waiting in line are quite expressive, and the exaggerated lines of the illustrations add to the lightheartedness of the story without sacrificing the realism. Frazee's humorous touch is perfectly suited to the simple story line, and when the ride gets going, the artist uses plenty of white space to set off the bold and exciting entertainment. The action is swift and palpable, with the text winding, dipping, and even turning upside down to follow the roller coaster's thrilling path.-Shelley B. Sutherland, Niles Public Library District, IL Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

The most exhilarating amusement park visit since Kevin O’Malley’s Roller Coaster (1995) begins with a line of prospective riders, each drawn as a distinct individual; some look eager, or at least confident, but "at least one of them has never ridden on a roller coaster before, ever." Children will soon figure out just who that might be as, after pulling back for a look at a glorious tangle of red tracks, Frazee fills up a train, then sends it zooming, swerving, dipping, and diving through pages of empty white space. At last it pulls up, and its passengers stagger off--except for one youngster, who has lost her initial anxiety, and "is planning to ride the roller coaster again . . . right away!" Capturing both the train’s breathtaking speed and a hilarious range of rider reactions with consummate skill, the artist who made Linda Smith’s Mrs. Biddlebox (2002) and Susan Meyers’s Everywhere Babies (2001) such delights is once again in top form. (Picture book. 5-8)

Parenting Magazine

"Kids get the ride of their lives in this visual tour de force."

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2?This fun story (Harcourt, 2003), written and illustrated by Marla Frazee, tells the story of a young girl's first ride on a roller coaster. She waits in line for the coaster with her father, eventually takes her seat, and hangs on as it climbs up the hill. Terrified at first, the girl quickly realizes how much fun she is having. When the ride is over, she's ready to go again! The vibrant watercolor illustrations perfectly capture the different emotions on the faces of the riders. Amy Rubinate's incredibly expressive reading reflects the hesitation the child feels at the beginning of the ride and then the sound of sheer joy as the roller coaster zooms, zips, and loops the loop! Wonderful sound effects include carnival music, the whooshing noise of a roller coaster, and the whoops and hollers of the riders. Page-turn signals are optional. Children will be delighted.?Jenny Ventling, Dayton Metro Library, OH