The Day Dancer Flew

by Tiffany Stone, Brittany Lane (Illustrator)

Overview

Key Selling Points

• When a rainstorm brings flooding, a child has to leave her horse, Dancer, behind on the family farm, but she is determined to save him and rallies help from the community to get him airlifted to safety.
• This story deals with the love and trust between horse and human, and what you'd do to save your animal companion's life. It also shows how frightening natural disasters can be, as well as the hope and strength in a community rallying together and helping each other out in dire times.
• This is a fictionalized version of a true story that happened near Spences Bridge, BC, in November 2021; flooding cut off road access to a farm and the family's horse was airlifted to safety.
• Unfortunately, weather-related emergencies are more and more prevalent in these times of climate change, leading to a demand for children's fiction centered on these types of events.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781459837416
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	05/14/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	25 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

Tiffany Stone is a children’s poet and picture book author. She is constantly inspired by animals of all kinds and loves to write about them. Tiffany lives with her family, including many beloved pets, in Maple Ridge, British Columbia.

Brittany Lane is a freelance illustrator and fine artist inspired by nature, animals, travel and folklore. She formally trained as a biologist and spent over a decade working as a wildlife biologist before pursuing her passion for art. Now she uses visual storytelling as a way to share her love for nature and wildlife with others. She currently lives in Stouffville, Ontario.

Tiffany Stone is an acclaimed children’s poet and author of more than ten picture books, including Little Narwhal, Not Alone and Super Small. She is constantly inspired by animals of all kinds and loves to write about them. Tiffany lives with her family in Maple Ridge, British Columbia.

What People are Saying About This

Kelly Kennedy

“This beautifully illustrated story will inspire hope and positivity in tricky situations.”

Editorial Reviews

Awe-inspiring [with] a perfect ending!”

Sal's Fiction Addiction

There is a beautiful flow and rhythm to [Stone’s] words, making The Day Dancer Flew ideal for reading aloud...[and] the illustrations by Brittany Lane are stunning, soft, and ethereal...Being able to place the story anywhere makes it easier for readers to connect to the idea that there are always helpers, and that some people will do selfless things to help others. Highly Recommended.”

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

2024-02-17
A community rallies to rescue a horse from a flood, led by a child.

At first, the nameless protagonist is afraid to ride the horse, named Dancer (“because of how he moves his hooves”). But the two quickly bond. Every day, they joyfully “fly” through the fields—until the day Dancer warns the child and Mom that there’s danger ahead. It’s been raining for days, and the valley where they live is about to flood. Mom and the young narrator must leave Dancer behind as they evacuate by helicopter. The child is determined to help Dancer “fly” to safety. The protagonist imagines Dancer soaring with wings, and the next day, Mom and the child ask a policeman for help. He refers them to a woman who helps horses, who in turn finds a helicopter pilot and a veterinarian. “If we can make a horse fly, we can do anything,” the young narrator reflects. Readers will be moved by how the protagonist’s flights of fancy turn into concrete solutions. The story is a much-needed reminder about the importance of community; it also offers a crucial takeaway: Even in the face of natural disaster and trauma, we must never stop attempting the seemingly impossible. Lane’s impressionistic illustrations ramp up the drama but never get too scary. The author notes that she was inspired by actual events in 2021, in the Pacific Northwest. Mom and the child are brown-skinned; the community is diverse.

A tremendous example of collective efforts in the wake of disaster. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews