"Amelia and Eleanor Go For a Ride" by Pam Munoz Ryan, Illustrated by Brian Selznick

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Bibliographic Citation

Title: Amelia and Eleanor Go For a Ride

Author: Pam Munoz Ryan

Illustrator: Brian Selznick

Year of Publication: 1999

Publisher City: New York

Publisher: Scholastic Press

ISBN: 059096075X

Author Website: http://www.pammunozryan.com/

Illustrator Website: No Illustrator Website

Media Used for Artwork: Pencil

Awards

·         American Library Association’s Notable Children’s Book, 2000

·         NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book, 2000

·         International Reading Association’s Notable Book for Global Society, 2000

·         Parenting Magazine Reading Magic Reward, 1999

·         New York Public Library’s Best Children’s Book List, 1999

Annotation

In the evening on April 20, 1933 aviator, Amelia Earhart, and First Lady of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt, sneak away from a dinner party at the white house to fly over Washington D.C.

Personal Reaction

                This story is a wonderful find for anyone who is inspired by Eleanor Roosevelt and Amelia Earhart.  Both women did extraordinary things in a time when women weren’t expected to do anything out of the ordinary.  It is nice to see that this fictitious story is based on an actual event and that they were friends in real life.  Ryan did a great amount of research (finding photographs and newspaper articles, even providing Roosevelt’s recipe for Pink Clouds on Angel Food Cake) to help readers imagine what actually occurred on that night, like they are reading an article in a newspaper.

                Historical fiction is a popular genre in novels.  This picture book is a good introduction to older readers who may want to read a novel but aren’t sure if they would like historical fiction.  The addition of the illustrations adds to the feeling that a reader is reading the story in the local paper since they are similar to photographs.

                The illustrations are unique in the fact that they were created using pencils.  Of the wide variety of picture books that I have read I have not found another book illustrated in this manner.  One has to appreciate the amount of time Selznick spent on drawing each illustration.  A reader can see each stroke made to create a picture.  It is amazing to see the individual strands that made up Roosevelt’s hair, the leaves and flowers on the trees outside the White House, and the view of Washington D.C. at night.  The use of the black and white illustrations is similar to a photograph from the area, which seems fitting with the addition of an actual photo of Earhart and Roosevelt on their flight at the end.