Clickity, clackity. Clickity, clackity. The roller coaster car is going up, up, up to the highest spot. And at least one of the people in the car has never ridden on a roller coaster before . . . ever. Wheeeeeeee! Get ready to experience the thrill of riding a coaster for the very first time in this vibrant new adventure from acclaimed picture book creator Marla Frazee. All sorts of people ride roller coasters, people over a certain height that is. Marla Frazee zooms in on one pony-tailed girl who has never experienced a roller coaster before, ever, in this start-to-finish ride. The anticipation builds much like it does in real-life: "S-l-o-w-l-y the train is pulled up the hill by a chain. Clickity, clackity. Clickity, clackity . Up. Up. Up. And then..." As the train zips and zooms and dips and dives, the pony-tailed girl in the very front seat loves every minute, or almost. In the end, "Most of these people are dizzy./ Some of them have wobbly knees./ But at least one of them is planning/ to ride the roller coaster again." Frazee's crisply detailed watercolor drawings of waiting people, happy people, terrified people, and dizzy people are fun to peruse. Youngsters who are Disneyland-bound (or who would just like to be) may be the best audience for this minute-by-minute replay of a roller-coaster ride. (Ages 4 to 7) --Karin Snelson PreSchool-Grade 1-Get ready to dip, dive, whoosh, and zoom away on this delightful ride. Frazee handily captures the anticipation and excitement, as well as the fear people experience on these amusement-park attractions. The young protagonist is just tall enough to ride the colossal roller coaster, and it's his very first time. The faces of the diverse crowd waiting in line are quite expressive, and the exaggerated lines of the illustrations add to the lightheartedness of the story without sacrificing the realism. Frazee's humorous touch is perfectly suited to the simple story line, and when the ride gets going, the artist uses plenty of white space to set off the bold and exciting entertainment. The action is swift and palpable, with the text winding, dipping, and even turning upside down to follow the roller coaster's thrilling path. Shelley B. Sutherland, Niles Public Library District, IL Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. *Starred Review* PreS-Gr. 2. A sinuous line of people stretches across two double-page spreads. Everyone, child and adult alike, is waiting to ride the roller coaster. Finally it's time to get into the cars; 12 lucky folks take their seats (a few people have already fallen out of line). Then, seatbelts fastened, off they go, with the picture-book audience brought up close to enjoy the ride. Around and around and up and down, the cars zip and fly across a series of double-page spreads. Frazee does an extraordinary job of conveying motion by the placement of her images, her use of white space, bright colors, and swooshing speed lines. The color of the type changes to red when the ride begins, returning to black when it ends, and the graphite and watercolor art is so dynamic that it practically turns the pages by itself. What will keep children coming back for extra looks, however, is Franzee's clever, dramatic depiction of the 12 riders and their wildly and amusingly different reactions to the stomach-churning experience--before, during, and after. No words are necessary to convey that part of the story; body language says it all. A rambunctious tour de force from an abundantly gifted author-artist. Michael Cart Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved "Captur[es] both the train's breathtaking speed and a hilarious range of rider reactions with consummate skill."-- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "A sweet and cheerful book."-- The New York Times Book Review MARLA FRAZEE has illustrated many acclaimed picture books, some of which she also wrote. Her picture book  A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever  was named a Caldecott Honor Book. She is also the author and illustrator of Walk On! A Guide for Babies of All Ages; Santa Claus, the World's Number One Toy Expert; Roller Coaster; and Hush, Little Baby. She is the illustrator of Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers,  The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman, Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild by Mem Fox, and more. Marla Frazee lives in Pasadena, California. Visit her website at www.marlafrazee.com .