Ryan, Pam Muñoz, and Brian Selznick. 1999. Amelia and Eleanor go for a ride: based on a true story. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN: 978-0590960755.
Author Website: http://www.pammunozryan.com/
Illustrator Website: http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/about_brian_bio.htm
Awards: ALA Notable Children’s Book,
Book Sense Book of the Year Finalist
Media: Pencil on Paper
Use of Metaphor: (p. 5) “Amelia and Eleanor were birds of a feather.”
Use of Alliteration: (p. 17) “circled cities.”
Use of Onomatopoeia: (p. 16) “Amelia’s eyes sparkled.” “the stars glitter.”
Special Notations: Personal Top Ten
Annotation: Two famous women, Eleanor Roosevelt and Amelia Earhart, share a memorable dinner at The White House and a magical flight over Washington D.C. after dinner in this historical picture book.
Personal Reaction: Brian Selznick’s extraordinary pencil drawings open Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride with a page full of seashell shaped clouds beckoning readers to take flight along with Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt. Selznick’s trademark hatch marks and fine lines guide the reader’s perspective throughout the book. The title page shows a close up frontal view of an airplane and subsequent biographical pages of Earhart and Roosevelt highlight the women’s facial expressions. Later in the story, Selznick draws an incredible nighttime view of Washington D.C. to highlight the vantage point offered by flying this same airplane. Munoz Ryan provides a lively text that introduces us to Roosevelt’s warmth and Earhart’s passion for flying. “Bring your husband and come to dinner at my house!” says Eleanor; of course, “my house,” is the White House! Selznick draws a realistic-looking White House surrounded by cherry blossoms that mimic the spiral shape found in the clouds throughout the illustrations. The next page shows Amelia’s husband reading a newspaper with the headline, “Earhart Flies,” in order to share Earhart’s achievements and fame with readers. Munoz Ryan’s storytelling is balanced as she cleverly follows each page about Roosevelt with a page of similar content about Earhart. This book would be an excellent book to introduce a class project about famous American woman. It could also be used for an art lesson. The profile drawings of Roosevelt and Eleanor on pages 18 and 19 would be a nice inspiration for students sketching self-portraits. Students will find a recipe for Roosevelt’s angel food cake at the back of the book, as well as an excellent author note with biographical details about these two famous women. The book closes with a copy of a black and white photograph of the two women enjoying each other’s company.
