FINCH'S FIRST FLIGHT

A young bird and a young boy both conquer their fear of flying during one adventurous plane ride in Ciabattoni’s picture book.

Finch is a bird who lives at the airport but is afraid to fly. One day, Finch meets a young boy with fair skin and black hair getting ready to embark on his first airplane ride. The boy admits that he’s afraid and asks Finch, who he assumes is a great flyer since he’s a bird, to help him through the experience. Finch doesn’t want to disappoint him, so he agrees, and the boy hides him in his pocket as they board the plane. While Finch shuts his eyes in fear, the boy points out all that he’s missing—when the bird finally looks out the window, he sees breathtakingly beautiful farmland, mountains, and lakes. This gives him the courage to try flying himself: “Finch was scared, but now he was also curious.” Of course, a bird flying inside an airplane causes quite the hilarious ruckus, but the experience gives Finch the courage and desire to fly in the sky once the plane lands. The bright illustrations by Wilkinson perfectly complement the simple tale. With easy vocabulary and a straightforward plot, emerging readers should have no trouble tackling it on their own.

A sweet, boldly illustrated tale of conquering your fears that will likely appeal to very young children.