The Glorious Flight

The Glorious Flight across the Channel with Louis Blѐriot was the recipient of the Caldecott Medal for illustration in 1984.

Exposition:  Mr. and Mrs. Louis Blѐriot and the five children in 1901, Cambrai, France.

Conflict:  The conflict is man and machine.  Mr. Blѐriot wants to fly.

Rising Action:  The family is taking a drive and they hear a noise overhead, when they look up to see what the noise is.  Mr. Blѐriot is determined to build an aircraft.  It takes him six years to successfully build an aircraft that flies.  Mr. Blѐriot sees an advertisement that offers a prize to fly across the Channel. 

Climax: On July 25, 1909, Mr. Blѐriot climbs into his plane and takes off from France.  Thirty-six minutes later he sees the cliffs of Dover in England.

Falling Action: He has a bad landing that damages his plane.

Resolution:  Mr. Blѐriot proved that the barriers that contained man were now removed because of the airplane and his glorious flight.

The book is definitely well-illustrated. The story was reinforced through the use of the detailed illustrations.  The color was appropriate for the time being written about.  The illustrations demonstrated the excitement and daring required to develop an airplane capable of flying over the Channel.

Provensen, A. & M. (1983). The Glorious Flight across the Channel with Louis Blѐriot July 25, 1909. New York: Puffin Books.