It is built around three girls with a dream of becoming female pilots.
When Hazel, a Chinese-American first saw the Curtis Jenny, she told her father that she would fly one in the future.
Marlene, in Great Britain, took her first ride in a
plane with her brother. At the start of WW2, she joined the ATA (Air Transport Auxiliary).
Lilya saw her first plane when it crashed on the
outskirts of a town in Russia. That night she told her parents she was going to
be a pilot. They laughed, for she spent all her time drawing and dreaming. When
war came, she was given the chance to fly by the most famous aviatrix in the
Soviet Union, Marina Raskova.
As there weren’t enough male pilots to fly the
shifts needed during WW2, a call-out came for females to join the WASP (Women
Airforce Service Pilots), a civilian group of the women’s aviation unit. They
were inundated with volunteers.
The success of female pilots created a climate of
sexism and antipathy against the women who were accused of stealing men’s jobs.
In actual fact, their extreme bravery saw them take on the dangerous roles
piloting planes through flight patterns men refused. This book reveals an era
in aviation history that glows in the light of women’s heroic choices at a time
of dire need.
Well-researched, beautifully designed and presented
using the artistic style of the war years, we witness the stout-heartedness of
women who answered the call. Through elegant and detailed illustrations, the
contrasts in history, with reference to women and how they were measured, are
exposed.
We are gifted with clear depictions of clothing
styles of the early 1940s, the medical and physical demands made on candidates
during training and preparation for their specific roles, and fantastic images
of the various aircraft, tanks, machinery and equipment.
The focus of the book is directed at the important
role women played in aviation. Their courage and passion during war time to
contribute what they knew they could do equally as well as men, is reflected in
every scene. The pages are filled with gorgeous coloured illustrations on the progress
of women’s roles at that time. These are complemented by informative text that
relays the hardships and ridicule they endured trying to get into a domain that
was governed by and for men.
Skyward…
comes highly recommended for readers with interest in aviation history, women’s
fight for rights and equality, or the unknown facts about women and aviation.
Title:
Skyward: The Story of Female Pilots in WW2
Author/Illustrator:
Sally Deng
Publisher:
Walker Books, $27.99
Publication
Date: September 2018
Format:
Hardcover
ISBN: 9781911171515
For
ages: 7+
Type: Non Fiction