The tale of a well-traveled piece of cloth.Intended to be made into women's underwear, a bolt of unbleached muslin was purchased by the Wright Brothers in 1903 to cover the wings of the Flyer, which became the first airplane in history to fly. Later, the cloth was cut into swatches and donated to a museum. But this cloth still had journeys to make. One swatch flew to the moon in 1969 in a pouch carried by Neil Armstrong. In 2020, another swatch traveled to Mars with the Rover Perseverance and, in 2021, flew with the helicopter Ingenuity, "the first experimental aircraft sent to another planet." This charming story is brought to life by Roth's witty illustrations. He sets photos provided by NASA and the National Air and Space Museum against sepia backgrounds, adding cartoon figures and an appealingly personified flying piece of cloth. Laced with moments of wry humor, the text clearly describes each flight and builds drama and suspense by suggesting that after each adventure, the cloth would finally have a rest-and then promptly upending that assumption. The final spread reminds readers of these three history-making flights and shows an imagined scene of the Wright brothers standing on Mars and waving to Ingenuity. People of color appear in several of the photos.A flight of fancy-and facts-sure to set aspiring scientists' imaginations soaring. (author's note, glossary of Perseverance instruments, bibliography, photo credits) (Informational picture book. 5-9)

The tale of a well-traveled piece of cloth.Intended to be made into women's underwear, a bolt of unbleached muslin was purchased by the Wright Brothers in 1903 to cover the wings of the Flyer, which became the first airplane in history to fly. Later, the cloth was cut into swatches and donated to a museum. But this cloth still had journeys to make. One swatch flew to the moon in 1969 in a pouch carried by Neil Armstrong. In 2020, another swatch traveled to Mars with the Rover Perseverance and, in 2021, flew with the helicopter Ingenuity, "the first experimental aircraft sent to another planet." This charming story is brought to life by Roth's witty illustrations. He sets photos provided by NASA and the National Air and Space Museum against sepia backgrounds, adding cartoon figures and an appealingly personified flying piece of cloth. Laced with moments of wry humor, the text clearly describes each flight and builds drama and suspense by suggesting that after each adventure, the cloth would finally have a rest-and then promptly upending that assumption. The final spread reminds readers of these three history-making flights and shows an imagined scene of the Wright brothers standing on Mars and waving to Ingenuity. People of color appear in several of the photos.A flight of fancy-and facts-sure to set aspiring scientists' imaginations soaring. (author's note, glossary of Perseverance instruments, bibliography, photo credits) (Informational picture book. 5-9)

K-Gr 3— Travel back in time to 1903 and meet a seemingly ordinary piece of fabric, originally destined to be made into women's underwear. Instead, who should purchase the bolt but the Wright brothers, using it as the wing cover for the Flyer, which would soon make history as the first airplane to be successfully airborne. After its first-of-a-kind journey, the fabric was cut into swatches and donated to a museum, seemingly finished with travel. However, its adventures did not end there: one swatch made it to the moon in 1969 with Neil Armstrong, while still another landed on the surface of Mars in 2021. Eye-catching spreads feature photographs with additional ebullient, cartoonlike illustrations, including the charming cloth and historical figures. Roth's text will enthrall readers of all ages, brimming with humor and successfully building suspense as the apparently ordinary cloth embarks on incredible adventures. VERDICT A fascinating and factual examination of a fantastic piece of flight history, and a welcome addition to all collections.— Olivia Gorecke