The Wondrous Whirligig: The Wright Brothers' First Flying Machine

by Andrew Glass

Inspired by a model helicopter and encouraged by their parents and sister, young Orville and Wilbur Wright attempt to build a life-size helicopter from scrap.

Genres: Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Childrens, Aviation

32 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2003

Reviews

[Britain Kenne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Wondrous Whirligig tells a true story about the Wright Brothers, Orville and Willy as young boys. It is told through the eyes of Orville. One day, their father brings home a gadget called a whirligig. A whirligig is a flying toy. The boys are fascinated by it; however, the whirligig, named the 'bat' by the boys, spins out of control. The brothers decide to "tame" it. They work on the toy, balancing and stabilizing it, until it can fly straight. Inspired by their small project, the boys set to a much larger task. They dream of making a giant version of the bat to fly into the air... with the boys on it. Their mother helps them and together, they map out a prototype, and eventually a giant whirligig. The day has finally come when the invention is ready to be tested. Neighbors, friends, and family gather around to witness the strange machine. Climbing inside, the brothers take off and launch the flying contraption into the air, excited to see their dreams come true.

This book was very interesting, however, I found the plot hard to follow and found myself rereading sections so I could better understand it. The illustrations were beautiful though.

This book could be used in a classroom to educate students about the past and American history. You can use it to teach children to follow their dreams and to never give up.

[Jillian Cryder · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, I didn't like this book, I felt like it was too long to be a children's book that peaked interest. I wish that the story would have been told in less words. The Wright Brothers have a cool story of how they started out playing with a toy that then turned into their first flying machine as the title tells us. I like that the book was family oriented and it showed us that the mom and dad support the brothers in the quest to build something bigger. I like that the book shows readers the process that they went through from getting the toy to when they started building and experimenting. I think that the pictures told the story better than the words did because I wanted to look at the pictures instead of reading. I think this would be a good book to bring in the classroom as part of teaching kids about airplanes or giving them a book for choice reading.

[Shelby Heffington]

I think this book is very cute to have in the classroom and to have the kids read about and enjoy the story to only find out that it's actually a true story about the Wright brothers and having them fly. It shows how when they were kids and the skepticism they faced even from their parents (moreso their dad) when trying to figure out how to fly.

[Seema Rao · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fictionalized account of the Wright brothers early efforts at prototyping done in a caricatured style.

[Tori Rhodes · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Wondrous Whirligig, Andrew Glass details factual information of the Wright Brothers' first flying machine in the form of an historical fiction story. The story is told from Orville Wright’s point of view. When the brothers were just seven years old, their father brought home a flying toy that he refers to as the “Whirligig” that Orville quickly compares to a flying bat. The boys, with their huge imagination, decide to create a large version of the “Bat” so people can fly. The boys plan their ideas using pencil and paper and their mother’s supportive help. When the boys are ready to test out their design, it does not go as planned. This does not discourage the boys; they immediately want to get back to the drawing board. This story illustrates the persistent and creative mindsets the Wright Brothers have. The boys worked extremely hard and did not give up in the presence of defeat. I love they way Glass tells the story of the Wright Brothers; he incorporates humor into the story, but keeps the content based on the true story of the Wright Brothers.

There are many ways this wonderful book can be used in the classroom. During a read aloud to children in 3rd through 5th grade, teachers can draw their students’ attention to the vocabulary that is used in the book. Teachers can use the words like unwound, effortlessly, and descended to teach morphological awareness where students are looking at how words are structured (prefixes, suffixes, root words). The teacher can also help the students use the context to understand the meaning of the words: spools, gyrated, catapulted, and sufficient.

Also, this historical fiction book can be used as an introduction in teaching students about the history of the Wright Brothers. Students can listen to this book during a read aloud and then they can be instructed to do research on the Wright Brothers to gain more information. The students can compare and contrast information from their research to the picture book, The Wondrous Whirligig.

This book also can be used during a Perseverance Unit where students are learning about the importance of never giving up, even when times get hard. Students are able to see how Wilbur and Orville failed, but did not quit. The brothers instead wanted to draw out their new ideas so they could make improvements to the "Bat."

This was a WOW book for me because Andrew Glass did a wonderful job of communicating factual information in a fun way. I enjoyed reading this book and learning about the history of the Wright Brothers’ first flying machine. I also believe that students will enjoy reading this book because it has amazing pictures and a funny, but reality-based storyline. I strongly believe that children can learn factual information in story books. This will allow students to become more engaged and excited about learning history.

[Alicia Evans · Rating 2 out of 5]

When the brothers' father comes home with a new toy that flies, the brothers get inspired to make it bigger and better. This book is funny but there's so much text that I feel like the target audience would easily be bored and it asks for more knowledge on the subject than it provides. The illustrations were well done, but they didn't necessarily seem to fit with the text. This concern could simply be because of strange marketing decisions, but it wasn't as enjoyable as it could have been.

[Chanda Ennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Introduction to Wilbur and Orville Wright's first flying machine. They persevered even when others said it couldn't be done. Spikes children's imagination and creativity.

[Chelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informational Book.