Check Out My Newest Guest Post From Author Leona Cobham PLUS Check Out Her Newest Book 'Flying Circus Through Thick and Thin' PLUS A Giveaway! ~

This post is sponsored by Leona Cobham. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal view.

I create a world of flawed, lovable characters. This concept that we are lovable despite our flaws is key for children. It’s ok not to be perfect, it’s ok to make mistakes. As long as we’re not ashamed of our mistakes, we can learn from them, and be brave enough to get back out there. I let the plots carry the reader to a relatable emotional challenge and then accompany the characters through the resolution of that challenge. I create situations with universal themes – fear, embarrassment, conflict resolution, and development of an inner feeling of significance which doesn’t depend on approval from others.

In the opening story of Flying Circus Through Thick and Thin (Book 2), Tom’s crash-landing epitomizes his sense of being out of control. Initially, he responds by trying to prove himself. But when he is not chosen for a night mission, he gets frustrated and overwhelmed by his feelings. We hear his self-talk as he tears down the runway and we empathize. He feels unseen, unappreciated, unimportant. He gets the urge for his old friend, speed. He goes supersonic and hides in his own vapor cone. We can all relate to this feeling of wanting to hide.

This reaction causes things to go very wrong. He then has to deal with shame on top of everything else. But his love for another character ultimately makes him put his ego to one side as he focuses on helping her, and by doing so, he redeems himself.

Every child has their own story, their life experience. The books explore how these personal experiences motivate us to help others. In Fit to Fly (Book 1), the Vulcan is moved to help an Antonov who is stranded with a faulty landing gear. Vul himself has spent time shut in a hangar, unfit to fly, and he wants to save the Anton from experiencing the same fate. He persists, despite seemingly insurmountable odds, and eventually, with the help of his friends, he succeeds.

When we hear the characters’ thoughts, we feel close to them. Woody, the little biplane, has low self-esteem and longs to be seen as a Very Important Plane. When each plane is given an animal to transport (What’s in the Box, Book 1), Woody fantasizes:

‘Woody scanned the trees for further wildlife. Seagulls, squirrels, sparrows, that was all. Or was that a snake? Could he see a viper coiled up outside the airport? Deadly, no doubt. One of the last on Earth. Very important. Nope! That was a fuel hose.’

Woody has high hopes he may even be given a tiger. This is not to be, but he realizes that although his animal is small, and potentially embarrassing, it plays a vital role in ecosystem functioning. Small does not equal insignificant.

In another story, Woody compares himself to Tom, the speedy F-14 Tomcat, and fears that his relative lack of speed will hamper the team effort in a race to Australia (Pedal to the Metal, Book 1). However, it is his unique ability to land on a very short, ungroomed runway which eventually saves the team. Through the story, young readers see that we all have gifts to bring to the table. We are all heroes on a journey.

It’s never easy to gracefully accept alternative points of view without feeling threatened. In Hats Off to Spif (Book 2), the Spitfire is challenged to tolerate an alternative take on an episode from history that is close to his heart. Through his character arc in this story, young readers feel their own way to accepting the existence of different points of view by considering the bigger picture. They see how Spif’s flexibility doesn’t weaken him. In fact, his ability to keep calm and remain untriggered elevates him from a fine leader to a great leader.

The stories are nuanced, the themes subtle. But because they are relatable, they are encouraging and inspiring.

AUTHOR BIO

I began research and writing in 1994 for a PhD on forest-based agriculture in Cameroon. While working in a forest recuperation project in Brazil, I volunteered to teach in a shanty town. Here, a lifelong interest in understanding different learning styles began. I was immersed in the world of aviation from an early age; my grandfather made many first-time flights in the 1920s and I inherited this love of flying and travel. With a fertile imagination, I soon turned to writing children’s fiction with airplanes as my characters. I am a born researcher and my website, like my books, is an archive of fascinating facts about flying.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Flying Circus Through Thick and Thin

Written by Leona Cobham

Illustrated by Timothy O’Brien

Ages 7+ | 144 Pages

Publisher: Cobham Wings | ISBN-13: 9781739407032

Publisher’s Book Summary: A group of anthropomorphized airplanes encounter extreme weather while training at a mountain base. The Spitfire and the biplane, Woody, discover a suspicious mining operation. Tom, the F-14, accidentally gives their radio frequency to the antagonists at the mine. A snowstorm causes more problems. Tom makes amends by rescuing an F-117 Nighthawk.

The second story is a comic tale of mistaken identity. Spif feels responsible for the smooth running of a historical commemoration, but his plans are hampered by a series of hilarious errors involving statues of Wellington and Napoleon.

In the final story, when the friends are invited to an air show in the height of summer they become impatient with a Chinook who is garnering attention. They take to the sky, and the Tomcat lights his afterburners. When a fire starts, he assumes it was his fault. He overcomes his shame to help with the firefight. Spif must put his pride aside and accept assistance from the popular Chinook. Each aircraft contributes to the effort with its own unique skill set. When they save some scouts who have been camping, it turns out it was the scouts who started the fire. They realize through making mistakes, we learn.

PURCHASE LINK

AMAZON ~ BOOKSHOP.ORG

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Leona Cobham was immersed in the world of aviation from a young age; her grandfather, Sir Alan Cobham, made many first-time flights as well as pioneering the invention of air-to-air refueling. Leona absorbed this love of flying and travel. While working in a forest recuperation project in Brazil, Leona volunteered to teach in a shanty town. Here, a lifelong interest in understanding different learning styles began. On return to the UK, she began to write children’s fiction and worked part-time as a classroom reading assistant. Believing happy children learn best, Leona infuses her writing with humor, adventure, and a big feel-good factor. Her endearing characters overcome personal as well as technical challenges to succeed.

For more information, visit: www.cobhamwings.co.uk