Flying!

by Kevin Luthardt

Overview

A series of simple questions triggers a playful, imaginative exchange between a child and his father.

"Papa, why can't I fly?" a boy asks. His father's simple answer leads to another question, and then another, until the father playfully demonstrates to his son all the things the child can do. In the end the boy discovers that with a little imagination and some help from his dad he can fly—even without wings!

Kevin Luthardt's highly expressive, comical, full-color illustrations and simply worded text capture the special bond between father and son. Readers will enjoy the playful fun and easy-going relationship depicted in this delightful story.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781561457243
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	09/03/2013
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Kevin Luthardt is an artist, muralist, who work appears in galleries and on the walls of schools and libraries across the Midwest. A graduate of the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, he is the author-illustrator of several picture books. He lives in Illinois.

Editorial Reviews

"This salute to imagination shows the magic that can happen when grown-ups enter into play with children."—School Library Journal

"An engaging and effective father-son story. . . this is a charming introduction to the worlds of books, birds and imagination, and an apt choice for parent-child reading."—Kirkus Reviews

"This has the feel of Hey Al (1986) by Arthur Yorinks."—Booklist

From the Publisher

PreS-K

An African-American boy reads a book about birds and asks his father, "why can't I fly?" Papa begins by pointing out the child's obvious lack of wings, and their conversation evolves into a game; no wings means hands instead, and hands are for grabbing, swinging, tossing, and flying in his father's arms. Ultimately, the child lives out his dreams of flight. The idea is carried more by Luthardt's bright acrylic illustrations than the text. The vividly colored cartoon artwork focuses on the joyful interactions between father and son and depicts fantastical scenes of the youngster soaring along with feathered friends. The last page hints that the game's not over: "Papa, why can't I breathe under water?" Though simple in concept, this salute to imagination shows the magic that can happen when grown-ups enter into play with children.-Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD

School Library Journal

When a boy reads a book about birds, his imagination takes flight. Multicolored acrylic paintings on bright, spare backgrounds narrow the focus straight to the boy and his dreams of taking wing with some colorful feathered friends. When asked, the boy's father explains that the boy can't fly because he doesn't have wings-he has arms and hands instead. More "why" questions follow, resulting in the boy being hugged, swung and tossed, until he soars through the air with the help of his father. The minimal, dialogue-only text works well, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the illustrations and perhaps add some description of their own. Sitting together in an armchair, the boy and his father then embark on a new reading selection about fish. Questions about fins seem sure to follow! An engaging and effective father-son story in which the main characters are black and race is not presented as an issue, this is a charming introduction to the worlds of books, birds and imagination, and an apt choice for parent-child reading. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews