Roller Coaster

25 months - O loves to ask for a Roller Coaster ride which in her opinion is sitting in her stroller or on her trike and having some one push her in a jerky side to side motion going fast. Almost colliding into things and veering away at the last second. So I thought this book would be great for her to experience what a real coaster was without taking a ride. Very well written and great graphics. There is a build of anticipation and feelings as the cars slowly hit the top... then the long pause... and swoosh! Exhilaration. A fun read!

I really liked the story because of the illustrations. The illustrations told so much of the story, even though there was text paired with them. The illustrations were able to contribute to the story and give the story another level of depth. The illustrations were very detailed, and able to show the reader action and excitement. The emotions of the characters are portrayed through the illustrations. The reader is able to see the fear prior to the ride, then the excitement as the ride is happening, and then finally the joy during and after the ride is complete. Another thing that I liked about the story was that during the ride the text of the story looks like the ride. For example, as the roller coaster is going upside down the text is show more also upside down. This adds another interesting element to the story. Having the text in different orientations engages the reader and excites them. At one point I was even having to rotate the book around to read the text. This is something that is not needed with every story, and this makes this story just a little more interesting. Another thing I liked about the story was that the characters were very realistic. The emotions that the characters are experiencing are authentic to what emotions that the reader has experienced as well. Most people who go on rides have feelings of fear before they get on. Then as they are riding there might be feelings of joy and excitement. This was also what the main characters were enduring. Having the characters experience real feelings allows the story to be more relatable. Readers can think back to their first ride, or this story could help them cope with idea of going on their first roller coaster. I believe the big idea of the story is that it is possible to overcome fears if you have enough determination. The main character is able to overcome her fear of riding roller coasters, and even finds out that she likes them. show less

Marvelous. I still don't want to ride a roller coaster, but I might just enjoy watching the different people who anticipate, experience, and reflect upon the ride. I don't know if everyone who reads this book looks at all the characters, but they should. I especially love that the ones who apparently had the most fun were the older couple in from the farm.

Gift from Cassie/Andy/Elliott. So much fun, with delightful illustrations full of movement (but on a white background, so not too overwhelming). The text is placed creatively too - it goes upside-down when the roller coaster does!

This story brings back so many memories of my experience with roller coasters. This book is about the feeling you get when you ride a roller coaster. The author did a great job of adding to the experience by including sound effects a roller coaster makes as it moves through loops.
Kids in grades k-3 will enjoy this book. It prepares kids for their first roller coaster ride.

Marla Frazee is an artist I admire. Her illustrations are filled with very accurate details, and the stories are ones that bring back memories of childhood and happy times.

This is a story of a young girl and her father who ride the roller coaster together. It is a story of the emotions felt both before and after the ride.

While not one of my favorites of her books, the illustrations carry the story.

In my opinion, the book Roller Coaster by Marla Frazee was enjoyable for many reasons. One reason was for the fun theme presented throughout the story. The theme was being able to conquer your fears. The little girl in the story ends up riding the roller coaster for the first time and loving it so much that she ends up wanting to do it multiple times afterwards. I also really enjoyed the illustrations because they told a separate story. The illustrations showed all twelve people on the roller coaster, and each person had a different facial expression throughout the ride. This told a story on its own. It showed the many mixed emotions that a person might feel riding a roller coaster, before, during, and after the experience. This book show more pushes readers to challenge their fears, because in the end they might enjoy something they once were afraid of. The characters of the story also portrayed all of the mixed emotions well. Overall this story was very interesting and was one that children in elementary school would enjoy. show less