Fly, fly, fly!

Ready to Soar written and illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld

Riley’s paper airplane is ready for take-off, but criticisms from all the birds threaten to ground the plane, until Riley meets a more supportive friend and rediscovers the joy of soaring.

The Owl Who dared written by Stephanie Stansbie

A little owl is scared of flying, because every time he opens his wings, he tumbles to the ground. Mommy explains to him that it will take a few failures before he succeeds, and soon, the little owl feels brave enough to keep trying. An uplifting celebration of courage and learning how to handle life’s challenges.

Newton and Curie Take flight! Written and illustrated by Daniel Kirk

Curious squirrel Curie observes a baby bird flying and is eager to try too, but when everyone tells her that squirrels cannot fly, she is determined to prove them wrong by conducting her own experiments with the help of her big brother Newton.

Donut: The Unicorn Who Wants to Fly written by Laura Gehl

Donut is a unicorn with a problem: she cannot fly–so she works with all the other creatures in the field and finally accomplishes her goal.

Color the Sky written by David Elliott

A story that celebrates the many colors of birds and the wonder of first flight.

Air Miles written by Bill Salaman

Miles was a difficult dog until he got his own motor car. But now he is growing older, and new challenges are arising. He doesn’t chase balls like he used to. His legs hurt whenever he takes walks. And sometimes he doesn’t hear when Norman calls him. So, when Norman learns that Mr. Huddy’s small airplane is in need of a pilot, Miles takes to the skies.

When We Fly written and illustrated by Jess McGeachin

A father-daughter story celebrating love, loss, and healing, and one bird’s broken wing that may prove impossible to fix.

Mel Fell written and illustrated by Corey Tabor

Readers will delight in turning their book sideways and upside down to follow Mel on her journey from downward fall to triumphant flight in this tale of self-confidence and taking a leap of faith.

Sometimes, you might fall down, down, down, before you learn to fly up, up, up.

Penguin Flies Home: a flight school story written and illustrated by Lita Judge

Even though his penguin friends would rather swim, Penguin dreams of flying.

The Dog Who Wanted to Fly written by Kathy Stinson

Who says dogs can’t fly? Meet Zora: a dog with a big dream and an even bigger personality. All Zora wants to do is learn how to fly so she can catch that pesky squirrel in her yard. But try as she might to prove to her friend Tully–a skeptical cat–that dogs truly can fly, nothing seems to work. Until Zora finds the right motivation, that is.

Wings written by Cheryl B Klein

Follows a baby bird on its first flight, one that starts cautiously and ends with delight.

Nonfiction

We are starlings: inside the mesmerizing magic of a murmuration

Author: Furrow, Robert

A stunning picture book for young nature lovers about starlings and the fascinating phenomenon of murmurations.

Nonfiction

Wings: birds, bees, biplanes, and other things with wings written by Tracey Turner

Wings takes readers on a fact-packed flight over a fascinating subject. Written by Tracey Turner, it offers a bird’s-eye view of the first airplanes, the fastest jet planes, beetles, birds, winged horses, flying dragons–even winged unicorns. There’s fun, easy-to-read information on wings of all kinds, including plenty of STEM material, presented in a mixture of text and speech bubbles that’s perfect for readers aged 7 plus. With Fatti Burke’s stylish and colorful illustrations, Wings is a wonderful journey of discovery.

How to Make a Flying Bird Decoration: https://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/kidscraftsactivitiesblog/2012/03/how-to-make-a-flying-bird-decoration/

Make a Flying Falcon- Paper Tube Craft and Game: https://crackofdawncrafts.blogspot.com/2011/02/make-flying-falcon-paper-tube-craft-and.html?m=1

This Is the Nest That Robin Built activities: http://www.denisefleming.com/pages/book-activities/this-is-the-nest-that-robin-built/activities.html#gsc.tab=0

This is For the Birds!

Have You Heard the Nesting Bird? by Rita Gray

Bring on the Birds by Susan Stockdale

The first book has a great Q and A section at the end conducted between a bird and the questioner, called “A Word with the Bird.”

The second book places birds into simple (and rhyming) categories, concluding with a who’s who of the birds pictured earlier in the book.

This would be a great opportunity to listen to bird calls online! Children might enjoy trying to imitate the sounds.

Flight

Planes Fly by George Ella Lyon

Make a very simple origami plane and practice flying the plane.  Children may have questions about force, lift and gravity.