ACHUKA

children's & YA recommendations on the go

You are here: Home / Archives for planes

Plane: Explore the Most Awesome Flying Machines Ever Built by DK (in-house)

By Leave a Comment

ACHUKA Book of the Day 13 Oct 2026

Publisher: Dorling Kindersley Ltd
ISBN: 9780241802359

Very much a gift book for the plane-obsessed, this lavish oversize picture book — notable for its extra-wide, panoramic format — has been impressively assembled and produced but the in-house team at Dorling Kindersley.

Take to the skies with this oversized, panoramic guide to the world’s most awesome aircraft, making it the perfect gift for aviation-loving kids.

Roaring down the runway or soaring high in the clouds, gravity-defying machines have always captured our imagination. This extra-wide, giant-format photo book brings the magic of flight to life, offering readers a close-up look at everything from commercial aeroplanes to fast and stealthy military jets.

Inside, readers will gain behind-the-scenes access to the cockpit and learn the fundamentals of flight. It’s an engaging introduction to STEM and engineering, explaining exactly how things work—from the raw power of a jet engine to the explosive mechanics of ejection seats.

Perfect for future pilots and engineers, this oversized book features:

  • A giant panoramic format with extra-long pages that perfectly capture the wide wingspans of modern flyers.
  • Fascinating mechanical details explaining how jet engines operate and the science behind modern transportation.
  • Behind-the-scenes access revealing the secrets of air traffic control and what it takes to be a pilot.
  • A broad range of flying machines, including transport titans, stealth bombers, and futuristic delivery drones.

A brilliant gift for kids aged 9 to 12 who want to understand the science of flight. Plane is an inspiring read that will leave young minds eager to take off.

Follow DK Books on

How About: Two Reissues? Flambards + The Edge of the Cloud

By Leave a Comment

Flambards and The Edge of the Cloud by K. M. Peyton were both reissued and rejacketed by Oxford Children’s Books this year.

flambards

First published in the late 1960s and set around the period of WW1, this pair of novels will appeal to readers who fancy a change of tempo and mood from brash contemporary teen fiction. They can also be appreciated by adults who enjoy reading Edwardian period fiction filled with horse riding and plane flying. Peyton’s writing is immaculate. The second book was awarded the Carnegie Medal.

A third Flambards novel appeared soon after, and a fourth title a few years later.

In an excellent recent Guardian feature, it was  said: “There are shades of Downton Abbey in Peyton’s sweep from the top of the social scale to the bottom…”

Here is a chronological list of her titles:

      • Sabre, the Horse from the Sea – 1947
      • The Mandrake, A Pony – 1949
      • Crab the Roan – 1953
      • North to Adventure – 1959
      • Stormcock Meets Trouble – 1961
      • The Hard Way Home – 1962
      • Windfall – 1963
      • Brownsea Silver – 1964
      • The Maplin Bird – 1964
      • The Plan for Birdsmarsh – 1965
      • Thunder in the Sky – 1966
      • Flambards – 1968
      • The Edge of the Cloud – 1969
      • Flambards in Summer – 1969
      • Pennington’s Seventeenth Summer – 1970
      • Fly-by-Night – 1971
      • The Beethoven Medal – 1972
      • A Pattern of Roses – 1972
      • Pennington’s Heir – 1974
      • The Team – 1975
      • The Right-Hand Man – 1977
      • Prove Yourself A Hero – 1978
      • A Midsummer Night’s Death – 1978
      • Marion’s Angels – 1979
      • The Flambards Trilogy – 1980
      • Flambards Divided – 1981
      • Dear Fred – 1982
      • Going Home – 1982
      • Who, Sir? Me, Sir ? – 1983
      • The Last Ditch – 1983
      • Pennington– A Trilogy – 1984
      • Frogett’s Revenge – 1985
      • The Sound of Distant Cheering – 1986
      • Downhill All the Way – 1988
      • Plain Jack – 1988
      • Who Sir, Me Sir ? – 1988
      • Skylark – 1989
      • Darkling – 1990
      • No Roses Round The Door – 1990
      • Late To Smile – 1992
      • Poor Badger – 1992
      • The Boy Who Wasn’t There – 1992
      • The Wild Boy and Queen Moon – 1993
      • Mr. Brown – 1995
      • The Swallow Tale – 1995
      • Snowfall – 1996
      • The Pony That Went to Sea – 1997
      • Windy Webley – 1997
      • Unquiet Spirits – 1997
      • Danger Offshore – 1998
      • Firehead – 1998
      • Swallow Summer – 1998
      • Swallow the Star – 1998
      • Blind Beauty – 1999
      • Pony Stories – 1999
      • The Paradise Pony – 1999
      • The Pied Piper – 1999
      • The Scruffy Pony – 1999
      • Horses – 2000
      • Pony In The Dark– 2001
      • Stealaway – 2001
      • Small Gains – 2003
      • Greater Gains – 2005
      • Blue Skies And Gunfire – 2006
      • Minna’s Quest – 2007
      • No Turning Back – 2008
      • Far From Home – 2008