January's Book of the Month--Fire Flight: A Wildfire Escape

January’s Book of the Month is FIRE FLIGHT: A WILDFIRE ESCAPE, written by Cedar Pruitt and illustrated by Chiara Fedele.

A wildfire moves swiftly through a California forest, “crunching dry branches, bark, and heartwood,” and stranding one little owl. There is “nowhere to go, but the owl [can’t] stay.” It bursts out of the trees, spies “a fellow flier” (a fire-fighting helicopter), and soars “right through the helicopter’s open window!” The story generates plenty of suspense but, as the flames die down, so does the intensity, and readers will land, with “a beautiful glide,” back home amid the now-burnt branches of the forest.

Based on an actual event, Pruitt’s focused, poetic text brings the chaotic scene to life with terse sentences and plenty of onomatopoeia, including the “beat-beat-beat” of the owl’s wings, the “chop-chop-chop of a fire-fighting helicopter,” and the “drip-drip-drop of water quenching flames.” Pairing perfectly with the text are the vivid colors, dramatic angles, and close perspectives of Fedele’s art, which pull readers through smoke and flames, and right into the helicopter to experience the uneasy alliance between fellow fliers. An author’s note at the end adds context to this dynamic offering.

Having myself been forced to flee from a California wildfire (the Buckweed fire of 2017), this gripping story really hit home for me!

--Lynn