Book Description
for Just in Case You Want to Fly by Julie Fogliano and Christian Robinson
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
“Just in case you want to fly / here’s some wind / and here’s the sky …” Fogliano’s whimsical narrative offers up a range of imaginative ingredients to fulfill various desires. Each begins “Just in case you want to …” (fly, sing, and cry, etc.), and continues by suggesting what one might need: a “la la la” and a “ding ding ding” to sing, or “here’s a tissue and a here’s a sigh” (in case you want to cry). The suggestions go from practical to absurd (e.g., for flying you might need “a fork and a spoon and a cup and a dish”). Robinson’s playful illustrations provide structure as they follow a young child’s day from morning to night (where crying is part of so many preschool bedtime routines), showing a diverse cast of characters, including a child in a wheelchair. As a whole, the book invites young children to invent their own just-in-cases, filling in the things they’d need in an imaginary landscape where there are no wrong answers. (Ages 3–5)
CCBC Choices 2020. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2020. Used with permission.