What kid hasn’t taken a pile of junk (aka treasures), combined it with a heavy dose of imagination, and then spent untold hours making something wondrous?  Violet Van Winkle does just that in Violet the Pilot.  Written and illustrated by Steve Breen (Dial 2008), this picture book captures the imaginative spirit that all kids seem to possess.

 While other girls her age play with dolls and tea sets, Violet plays “with monkey wrenches and needle-nose pliers.”  Violet also has the amazing good fortune of living next to a junkyard (how cool is that?), and thus has access to all kinds of amazing stuff (can you believe someone threw this away?)

 By the time she’s eight, Violet is creating “elaborate” flying machines.  Machines like the Bicycopter (think bicycle-powered helicopter), the Pogo Plane, and the Wing-a-ma-jig. 

Naturally, kids at school don’t understand Violet, and they tease her.  Perhaps if Violet wins the airshow, she can win some friends too . . .  But what if Violet can’t make it to the airshow at all?

This cliffhanger and others such as “What exactly is a Tub-bubbler?” are explored in Violet the Pilot.  Let your imagination soar with this fun picture book that encourages kids to dream big.