A Royal Ride: Catherine the Great's Great Invention

PreS-Gr 3-Russian ice slides originated in the 1400s but prospered each winter as a fun form of entertainment for the country's citizens. Each spring, when the slides melted, Catherine the Great was very dismayed, so she decided to work with Russian engineers to build a slide that would last year-round. When it was finally completed, they had built the first-ever roller coaster that was 40 feet high with a bejeweled carriage. The author explains how Catherine created the Hermitage Museum, went to war, wrote a book, started the first school for girls, and so much more. The book also contains a time line and list of how roller coaster is pronounced in different languages. The illustrations are cutesy and modern with a whimsical feel. VERDICT Although this book is illustrated to catch the eye of younger readers, it contains a lot of information. A surprisingly jam-packed and fun work of nonfiction.-Maeve Dodds, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, NC

Cartoon scenes of a young Catherine the Great (1729-1796) animate the beginnings of the first wooden roller coaster. The Russian empress adores Saint Petersburg's winter ice slides ("she bolted, barreled, and breezed six hundred feet down," reads Fulton's spirited text) and longs to enjoy their thrill during the summer months. Sketching a design with "gilded beams and poles as high as a mountain," Catherine sets her builders to the task. They modify and construct her idea, erecting a wood tower (not gold, to her dismay) and carriage that delight the empress, and the first "Russian mountain" is born. In Fleming's art, Catherine pushes education for all and bosses builders about while wearing a crown and cape, accompanied by an orange tabby and small white dog. A brief author's note, roller coaster timeline, and bibliography conclude this whimsical introduction to roller coaster history. Ages 4-8. (July)