THE AIRPORT

A simple introduction to many types of airport workers.

Walton, a self-described “aviation journalist,” follows a group of travelers who are diverse in terms of age, race, and ability into one airport and, after a quick, uneventful flight, out another. Along the way he not only introduces an equally diverse cast of employees, from brown-skinned security agent Francine at the luggage scanner to light-skinned immigration official Kevin examining passports at a checkpoint, but also points out different types of airport buildings and sizes of passenger planes, explains how checked luggage is sorted and transported, and ducks behind the scenes to watch brown-skinned chef Safir adding veggies to each preassembled dinner plate; Jasmine, Bradley, and Mia, a diverse trio of technicians, replacing a jet engine; and brown-skinned animal trainer Meena deploying a falcon (named Felix) to chase geese off the runway. It’s an eye-opening tour for young travelers, experienced or otherwise, who think it takes only pilots and flight attendants to get them where they’re going—even if, unlike Lisa Brown’s The Airport Book (2016) and most of the many similar picture books that overtly aim to soothe the anxieties of infrequent fliers, the content focuses more on people than safety procedures. Nearly everyone here is given a name, and within her stylized, screen print–style settings Abbo picks up on that cue by depicting figures with individualized dress and faces. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Informative and notable for its people-centric approach.