Bank Street Best Book of the Year
★ "This fast-paced picture book outlines the landmark night flight of pilot James H. 'Jack' Knight (1892–1945), who helped extend the life of the U.S. Air Mail Service by serving as a relay pilot in the first overnight cross-country U.S. airmail delivery. In snappy, climactic prose, Esbaum traces the obstacles Knight encountered, including bodily discomfort and an unavoidable blizzard in Illinois. Innerst’s atmospheric illustrations conjure the rough elements and close quarters in deep blues and cool gray washes, with fluid figures, stamped text, and finely brushed details adding texture. A riveting journey about an undersung aviator. Back matter includes creators’ notes and a timeline sharing highlights in the history of the U.S. mail."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Jack Knight is an engaging true tale of a genuine American hero whose courage paved the way for air mail and commercial aviation." —F. Robert van der Linden, Curator of Air Transportation, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
"Esbaum’s conversational present-tense narration places readers in the middle of the action alongside Jack Knight...Harrowing details, such as snow-covered runways, miscommunication between airfields, and Knight literally freezing to his biplane’s seat, amplify the ultimate success of the daring pilot. Innerst’s mixed-media illustrations, primarily rendered in watercolor, ink, and pencil, are expressive and atmospheric. Rather than depicting objects and characters realistically, he manipulates their sizes, shapes, and colors to accurately reflect the mood of any given scene...A thrilling and well-told moment in the history of information distribution across the United States." —The Horn Book
"On the night of February 22, 1921, hundreds of Nebraskans turn out to watch Jack Knight take off on his assigned leg of an aerial relay race—not to break speed records, not to win prizes, not even to wow a crowd, but to convince government bean counters that newly popular air mail delivery is a worthy investment....Esbaum retraces Knight’s night with breathtaking pacing and a touch of humor, deftly underscored by Innerst’s equally taut yet waggish mixed media artwork." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"One hundred years ago, the mail system was in jeopardy, and in this informational picture book, Esbaum takes readers back to a pivotal night. On the evening of February 22, 1921, Jack Knight was flying precious cargo—not a celebrity or jewels, but six sacks of mail! Visceral descriptions relate Knight’s flying conditions... Innerst’s equally dramatic illustrations alternate between airport scenes on the ground in yesteryear yellows and Knight’s frigid night flying in luminous midnight blues." —Booklist
"An exciting story. The text maintains a tense, suspenseful pace, and the watercolor, ink, pencil, rubber stamp, and digital illustrations bring the journey to life... extensive back matter includes an author’s note, photos, highlights in the history of the U.S. mail, bibliography, and illustrator’s note. This historical adventure has great appeal and may renew kids’ interest in the postal service; a valuable addition to nonfiction collections." —School Library Journal
"The jaunty storytelling and atmospheric illustrations vividly depict the challenges of flying an open cockpit plane in winter with only signal fires to guide pilots through the night and snow impeding opportunities to refuel. The broad strokes of dark watercolor and ink are just detailed enough to evoke the shapes of planes and people on a snowy night. This is a lively read." —School Library Connection
03/01/2022
K-Gr 3—A hundred years ago, America's lawmakers wanted to end air mail, due to the danger and expense; Jack Knight was one of the pilots who participated in a series of overnight flights to prove that air mail was faster than trains. Readers may rightly wonder if speedier mail service was more important than pilots' lives, but Jack's flights from Nebraska to Chicago, through fog and a blizzard, make an exciting story. The text maintains a tense, suspenseful pace, and the watercolor, ink, pencil, rubber stamp, and digital illustrations bring the journey to life with swirling snow in the dark sky and lights on the runways below. Extensive back matter includes an author's note, photos, highlights in the history of the U.S. mail, bibliography, and illustrator's note. VERDICTThis historical adventure has great appeal and may renew kids' interest in the postal service; a valuable addition to nonfiction collections.—Jenny Arch
