"Sometimes You Fly" - a bookwrap

Today's book is a joyous celebration of the trials and errors of growing up.

Unwrapping

"Sometimes You Fly": A Celebration of Babies, Graduates, and Everyone in Between

Authored by Katherine Applegate

 Illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt

Ages: 4+

Publisher: Clarion Books

Pub. Date: April 3, 2018

Available on:  Hardback, iBooks, Kindle

(40p) ISBN 978-0-547-63390-9

What others are saying...

This charming and engaging celebration of life is a must-read and a must-have. A natural successor to Dr. Seuss' Oh, the Places You'll Go! that deals with navigating life's ups and downs." - Booklist, starred review

"Exuberant and loving; sure to incite giggles from kids and teary smiles from adults and possibly to unseat Oh, the Places You'll Go! as a perennial graduation gift." - Kirkus, review

"With a cast that ranges across the span of childhood, this book seems destined to be given at milestone moments." - Publishers Weekly 

Unwrapping some illustrations for you to enjoy

Unwrapping an excerpt from commonsensemedia.org

(by Regan McMahon)

The book is educational, has a positive message, highlights great role models of both boys and girls, has no violence or bad language.  

WHAT PARENTS NEED TO KNOW

Parents need to know that Sometimes You Fly, by Newbery Medal-winner Katherine Applegate (The One and Only Ivan), is a charming, wonderfully illustrated picture book with a simple, wise message that growing up involves a lot of trial and error. Using a baking metaphor, Applegate writes, "Each recipe we undertake/ can rise or fall,/ can burn or bake." And she concludes, "Remember, then/ with every try,/ sometimes you fail,/ sometimes you fly./ What matters most/ is what you take/ from all you learn/ before the cake." Showing diverse kids from a food-smeared baby to a student driver to a black-robed graduate throwing his mortarboard up into the sky, Sometimes You Fly highlights both goofs and accomplishments with warmth and humor. 

WHAT'S THE STORY?

The messy hard work of childhood (and parenthood) is on full display in SOMETIMES YOU FLY. Kids are pictured at various stages, from infancy through graduation, achieving milestones including eating the first solid food, learning to swim, growing tall enough to ride the roller coaster, making friends, learning to hit a baseball, learning to drive, first love, the grief of burying a pet, earning a diploma in cap and gown. 

IS IT ANY GOOD?

This capsule view of growing up uses irresistible art and spare rhythmic text to convey a message to keep trying and learn from your mistakes and disappointments. Young readers will enjoy the funny kids and familiar situations portrayed -- such as a boy stubbornly refusing to get in the wading pool on one page but ready to dive in the ocean waves on the next; or a girl struggling to hit a baseball on one page then leaping for joy at making the softball team on the next. But Sometimes You Fly may also have appeal as a graduation gift, like Dr. Seuss' Oh, the Places You'll Go! It's delightful whether the reader is looking forward or back.  

Reinhardt's water-colour-and-ink portraits have a marvelous specificity that invites readers to connect more deeply with the diverse characters as they struggle, grow and "sometimes ... fly." This gorgeous gift book, equally perfect for preschool graduations or college commencements, baby showers or birthdays, is an inspirational tribute to the universal struggles and achievements of childhood.  I highly recommend it. 

Storywraps Rating - 5+++Hugs!!!!!

Meet the author

Katherine Applegate 's many children's books include the Newbery Award-winning novel The One and Only Ivan, the bestselling novels Wishtree and Crenshaw, the bestselling Animorphs series, and the picture books Ivan and The Buffalo Storm. She lives in California. Visit her online at katherineapplegate.com and on Twitter at @kaauthor.

About the illustrator

When her elementary school classmates said they wanted to be firemen, doctors, and vets, Jennifer Black Reinhardt declared she wanted to draw the picture on greeting cards. Today her diverse body of work includes not only greeting cards but chapter books and picture books, including Yaks Yak by Linda Sue Park and Sometimes You Fly by Katherine Applegate. Jennifer lives with her family in Iowa City, Iowa. Visit her online at jbreinhardt.com, on Twitter @jblackreinhardt, and on Instagram @JenniferBlackReinhardt.

Follow Storywraps

*Instagram: Storywraps

*Email:  storywrapsblog@gmail.com

*Facebook:  www.facebook.com/Storywraps

*Twitter: Storywraps@Storywraps1

Pinterest: Storywraps

I put hours of work finding the best kid's books to review for you each day.  If you enjoy visiting Storywraps and would like to donate something for my time and effort I would greatly appreciate it.

Go to the top of my blog at the right hand corner (below my photo) and please donate what you feel lead to give.  The amount you donate and the frequency you donate is totally up to you.  I thank you in advance for your support.  I love what I do and appreciate any amount that you may give so I can make our community even better.  Thanks a million! 

Read on!

Read always!