The Glorious Flight Across the Channel with Louis Bleriot July 25 1909 by Allison and Martin Provensen (1987) is a Caldecott medal winner, I love the lesson of persistence in this story. It begins in 1901 in Cambre, France. Mr. Louis Bleriot, his wife, four children, and two pets sit at their breakfast table. His children grow up as the years pass. Provensen provides a metaphor for change when Bleroit looks up to see an airship, and his car crashes into a horse-drawn wagon. "I too will build a flying machine . . . We will all fly through the air like swallows!" he exclaims. We read about his multiple attempts, beginning with a craft so small only a cat could fit in it. His glider " rises into the air and shoots down into the river with a splash that frightens the fishes." Several more designs improve upon the previous one. An attitude of expectation despite failure is the glory of the book. The specific changes could be the topic of a research project for the gifted reader.
