Zephyr Takes Flight

Light (The Christmas Giant) taps into the allure of flying, the charm of old gadgets, and the joy of secret spaces in his lighter-than-air fantasy. Zephyr, who’s always wanted to fly, discovers a door in her house that leads to a room filled with flying machines. Taking off in an improbable steampunk contraption, she tries tricks she’s only dreamed about—“Her triple loop-de-loop spectacular was much more fun in the sky!” Sputtering to an emergency landing in a strange country, she uses her flying acumen to assist the piglet Rumbus, the only one in his winged pig clan who can’t fly. A loose line and cheerful, Bemelmans-style figures give fizz to the spreads and panels, which also benefit from big swirly strokes that indicate movement and flight, as well as sepia tints that give the panels vintage warmth. Although indications point to the stable of antique flying machines and the country Zephyr finds existing only in her mind, it’s that very imagination—along with the girl’s energy and generosity—that sustains the story. Ages 4–7. Agent: Frances Goldin Literary Agency. (Oct.)