Cedar Pruitt

Written by Cedar Pruitt | Illustrated by Chiara Fedele
Available now from Capstone Editions everywhere that books are sold, including:
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This picture book, written for ages 5-9, explores a real-life event that made newspaper headlines all over the world. The true story of a surprise encounter high above a raging forest fire…between a helicopter pilot and one unforgettable owl. Watch the 20-second book trailer here!

In October 2020, a little owl was in the path of a terrible forest fire raging through the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in California.

With a swift beat of wings

the owl burst from deep, deep in the trees

up high above its burning home

with nowhere to go—

and saw a fellow flyer.

Wondering what the owl saw? Here’s a hint:

What happened next was a surprise for everyone.

To me, the surprise sounded like a poem, so I wrote one.

Eventually, that poem about a moment of connection became a picture book.

There are so many things to think about in this story.

A Deeper Dive Into the Story

What might make a reader curious when reading Fire Flight? Some of the things that I think about:

1. I think about how those forests became so dry. After extreme drought brought on by climate change, the forests were able to burn easily and quickly. This fire, called the Creek Fire of 2020, burned for four months.
   • What actions can we take to reduce the impact of climate change?
   • What do you know about climate change?
   • How does it make you feel?
     
     
2. I think about how firefighting helicopters work, and what fire-fighting work happens on the ground and the air.
   • How do you learn to pilot a firefighting helicopter?
   • What do firefighters do to fight wildfires on the ground?
     
     
3. I think about owls!
   • Where do owls live?
   • What do they eat?
   • Have you ever heard an owl?
   • What is special about Screech-Owls?
     
     
4. I think about the connection between people and animals, and how important it is.
   • What stories have you read in which people and animals have a special connection?
   • Do you have any special connections with animals?
     
     
5. I think about forests and how much I like being in one.
   • Have you been in a forest?
   • What do you like about them?
   • What do you think the animals who live there like about forests?
     
     
6. I think about news stories and headlines, and how they can be scary, or comforting, or both at the same time, like this story.
   • What have you read in the news that makes you scared?
   • How have you gotten over being scared?
     
     
7. And I even think about what makes me feel safe, cozy, and protected.
   • For me, it helps to be with people I trust, gentle animals, in calm places like a quiet forest or on a couch with a soft quilt.
   • What makes you feel safe?