I read Lighter Than Air: Sophie Blanchard, the First Woman Pilot to my daughter at bed and when I first read the title, she said, “No! Amelia Earhart was the first woman pilot!” While I’m pleased she knows about Amelia Earhart, I had to let her know she was quite mistaken. Amelia was very well known, but definitely not the first. Enter Sophie Blanchard.
As an illustrator, Matt Tavares has an almost magical ability to capture a scene in such a way that it helps the reader identify thematic elements. Birds, flying free, grace nearly every spread and the newspaper, filled with articles of flying, literally fly off the pages and across the windswept beaches. A bit of foreshadowing with Sophie lighting fireworks for Napoleon’s wedding. My daughter, Cecelia, exclaimed, “That’s dangerous!”. And we both enjoyed her chaise lounge bed dangling from the balloon. Talk about traveling in style! The French really knew how to do things right! And so do Matthew Clark Smith and Matt Tavares! They have told Sophie Blanchard’s story just right.
http://www.matttavares.com/
@tavaresbooks
Title: Lighter than Air: Sophie Blanchard, the First Woman Pilot
Author: Matthew Clark Smith
Illustrator: Matt Tavares
Published 2017 by Candlewick Press
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7732-9
This book was sent by the publisher for review purposes.
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