The Year We Learned to Fly

The Year We Learned to Fly is a children's picture book written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by Rafael López. Told in verse, the story is about two Black siblings, who use their imagination to escape their boredom. The book was published on January 4, 2022, by Nancy Paulsen Books and is a follow-up to the authors' previous collaboration, The Day You Begin.[1]

The Year We Learned to Fly
First edition
AuthorJacqueline Woodson
IllustratorRafael López
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish, Spanish
GenrePicture book
PublisherNancy Paulsen Books
Publication date
January 4, 2022
Pages32
ISBN978-0-399-54553-5
Preceded byThe Day You Begin 

Reception

The picture book was received positively, gaining starred reviews from multiple publications. Kirkus Reviews, which summarized the book as "[a]n intergenerational family story of freedom", praised López' illustrations, such as the contrast between the indoor and outdoor scenes, and said "[t]he ebullient mixed-media artwork explodes with color and extends the richness of the text." Kirkus also commented on the reference to Virginia Hamilton's The People Could Fly made by the authors.[2]

The Booklist praised the narrative, calling it "simultaneously simple and profound" and commented on how the book could be used to give confidence to children during challenging points in their lives.[3] In their review, Publishers Weekly highlighted López' multimedia illustrations and how they worked alongside the poems to vividly depict the children's imagination.[4]

The Year We Learned to Fly was shortlisted for the 2022 Kirkus Prize in the "Young Readers' Literature" category.[5]

References
  1. "Rights Report: Week of August 30, 2021". Publishers Weekly. September 2, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  2. "THE YEAR WE LEARNED TO FLY". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  3. "The Year We Learned to Fly, by Jacqueline Woodson". Booklist Online. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  4. "Children's Book Review: The Year We Learned to Fly by Jacqueline Woodson, illus. by Rafael López". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  5. Muchnick, Laurie (September 8, 2022). "Here Are the 2022 Kirkus Prize Fiction Finalists". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
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