Review - The Dog Who Wanted to Fly

The Dog Who Wanted to Fly
by Kathy Stinson
illustrated by Brandon James Scott
Date: 2019
Publisher: Annick Press
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 36
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

Who says dogs can't fly? Meet Zora: a dog with a big dream and an even bigger personality. All Zora wants to do is learn how to fly so she can catch that pesky squirrel in her yard. But try as she might to prove to her friend Tully--a skeptical cat--that dogs truly can fly, nothing seems to work. Until Zora finds the right motivation, that is. Kathy Stinson's charming story of perseverance is beautifully brought to life by Brandon James Scott's exuberant and wonderfully expressive illustration. Touching on themes of optimism and determination in the face of failure, The Dog Who Wanted to Fly is a book anyone--even a cat--will love.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Zora is a dog who wants to fly. She wants to fly so she can catch a squirrel, which I guess is a reasonable goal for a dog. So she tries different methods to get herself airborne. Not much works, until she's faced with actually needing to fly to help a friend.

I'm not sure if the friend got into trouble on purpose, just to motivate Zora to do what she did (the nature of the creature in question makes me wonder). The outcome is a little abrupt, and at first I was a little surprised that the book had ended. Once the squirrel realizes Zora can "fly" and potentially reach it, it goes quiet, stopping its continual "chitterchitterchitter" that it did throughout the story.

The illustrations are interesting. I can't quite tell what medium they are (digital painting, maybe?) but the settings are pretty and the animals' expressions are lively. (In contrast, the few humans in the book simply have black dots for eyes, which leaves the really animated facial expressions to the animals.)

Overall, it's a cute story about perseverance. And perhaps a cautionary tale for squirrels.

Thank you to NetGalley and Annick Press for providing a digital ARC.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.83 out of 5