The Daring Miss Quimby

In this portrait of Harriet Quimby, an independent daredevil who, in 1911, became the first woman in the U.S. to gain a pilot’s license, vibrant watercolors re-create an era when planes “looked more like bicycles with wings.” Flying the English Channel, Quimby’s plane is shown awash in thick fog, until she spots the shore and lands to an excited crowd and much acclaim. Quimby’s final flight, which resulted in her early death, is explained against an open expanse of water as the sun breaks through clouds. But the story ends on an uplifting note, explaining that Quimby paved the way for future female pilots. Ages 5–8. (Sept.)