Cloud Chaser

K-Gr 3—The book opens with the young protagonist's declaration,"Ever since I can remember…I've dreamed of flying." Shy, creative Emery plans to spend the summer tinkering with designs for a flying a machine, and is surprised to find an ally in a new neighbor, Leon. With a long nose, white beard, and passion for invention, Leon evokes a certain famous Leonardo, and he joins Emery in turning old junk into winged contraptions. From disastrous test flights with early prototypes to the titular creation (their first to achieve sustained flight), the two friends enthusiastically persevere until their bittersweet parting at summer's end. This French import boasts a tall trim size to accommodate Puybaret's elongated illustrations, which are rendered in a striking combination of delicate brushstrokes and crisp lines. Just as the characters occasionally succeed in becoming airborne, so too does the matter-of-fact text launch into occasional bursts of lyricism: "We were adventurers. We were inventors of happiness." No pronouns are applied to Emery, allowing fellow-adventurers of all genders to imagine themselves in the pilot's seat.