About the Holiday

October may be book lovers’ favorite month of the year! Why? It’s National Book Month! This holiday was established to get everyone excited about reading. As the weather turns cooler and more indoor activities take center stage, reading together becomes a wonderful way to spend time having fun and making memories. Children of all ages love being read to, and when older siblings read to younger brothers and sisters, they can bond over favorite stories and make each story time an event. Whether you’re reading board books, picture books, or novels with your kids, you’re making memories that will last a lifetime!

Thank you to Star Bright Books for sending me a copy of this book for review!

Flutter, Flap, Fly!

Written by Ellen Mayer | Illustrated by Estelle Corke

As Teo arrives at the playground, riding on his father’s shoulders, he spots two birds flying nearby. One is “‘. . . soaring. See how it is flying straight up into the sky?’ says Papi.” The other is “‘swooping . . . straight down very fast.'” Teo thinks it would be fun to soar and swoop too. Near the playground equipment, Teo and Papi watch a bird bathing in a puddle, and Teo giggles while imitating it. An older girl and boy in a tower on the play system notice and invite Teo to play with them, pretending to be birds in a tree. “‘Come fly with us. Flap, Flap!'”

Teo feels too small to climb high, so he perches on a lower level, where the girl and boy invite him to be their baby bird and peck for seeds. Soon Teo’s ready to hop up higher to their nest. Papi says, “‘Look at you three snuggling together. Snuggle! Snuggle! Snuggle!'” When Teo’s other father arrives, it’s time to go to the grocery store. Now, after playing with the older kids, Teo is ready to “‘leave the nest'” and “‘Flap [his] wings and fly. Teo is proud to show how he can “‘soar'” up the steps and “‘swoop'” down the slide!'”

A Note for Parents, Grandparents, and Caregivers by Dr. Kori Bardige, an Early Education Specialist, follows the text and coveys the positive effects that engaging children in frequent conversations, creative activities, and pretend play has on vocabulary growth and language skills. A You Can Do This Too! paragraph gives adults specific ways they can use this book as a springboard for play and learning as well as encouragement for “becoming a partner in learning” with their child.

Ellen Mayer’s cheerful and lively storytelling always brings a smile as her characters encourage and support each other to branch out of their comfort zone in their own time while engaging in playful activities that foster camaraderie and self-confidence. In her series of Small Talk Books®, Mayer’s dialogue-rich text models the types of conversations that adults can have with children to promote natural language learning and understanding. Her inclusion of the two older children demonstrates the important impact that older siblings and friend groups as well as adult caregivers can have on the socialization and language development of younger children.

Estelle Corke’s bright and expressive illustrations will captivate kids as they watch adorable Teo at the playground having fun pretending to be a bird with two new friends. Corke’s animated images of Teo and the other children fluttering, soaring, and swooping will inspire young readers to join in with their own pretend play. Kids will enjoy keeping an eye out for the birds flying, perching, and nesting throughout the pages.

Bursting with imagination and animated conversations that will pique kids’ inquisitive nature while nurturing their language development, Flutter, Flap, Fly! will enhance any library collection and would be a favorite for repeat reading at home and in the classroom.

Ages 3 – 6

Star Bright Books, 2026 | ISBN 978-1649091000

About the Author

Ellen Mayer is an award-winning children’s author who has worked as an education researcher and early literacy home visitor. Her Small Talk Books® series with Star Bright Books features diverse families in engaging stories that highlight two aspects of early childhood education with engaging stories: early language development and early math development. Titles in the series that focus on language development include board books Twinkle, Twinkle, Diaper You!, Red Socks, and A Fish to Feed, as well as picture books Cake Day and Rosa’s Very Big Job. See https://ellenmayerbooks.com/books/. Flutter, Flap, Fly! is her eleventh book with Star Bright Books. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts with her husband and their dog, Ellie. Visit her at ellenmayerbooks.com.

About the Illustrator

Estelle Corke spent much of her childhood drawing. Her passion for drawing led her to study graphic design in college and eventually found her way to children’s books. She enjoys traditional watercolor and gouache painting and regularly teaches watercolor classes to adult beginners. She lives in Wiltshire, England with her husband and Poppy, a little black and white dog. Visit her at estellecorke.com.

National Book Month Activity

Soar and Swoop! Wings Craft

Kids (and adults!) can set their imagination soaring while they flutter, flap, and . . . fly with this easy craft designed by young creator Elise B.! What kind of bird will you be?!

Supplies

• Poster Board in any color
• Twine, string, or ribbon
• Feathers, leaves, flower petals, paper, markers or crayons, glitter, or other items to decorate wings
• Streamers
• Measuring tape
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Hole Punch (optional)
• Glue and tape

Directions

1. Measure child’s arm from finger tips to elbow and use this measurement for the long, top side of the wing
2. On the poster board, draw two wing shapes: use your child’s arm measurement for the long, top edge of the wing. From the right (or left) end of this line, draw a perpendicular line about 4 or 5 inches long. Then draw a curving, scalloped line from the bottom of the perpendicular line to the other end of the long, top edge of the wing.
3. Cut out two wings
4. Decorate the tops of the wings with markers or crayons or by gluing items to them
5. Attach streamers to the scalloped edge with glue or tape
6. With the hole punch or scissors, make two holes vertically along the short side, about 3 inches apart
7. With the hole punch or scissor, make two holes vertically near the tip of the wing, about 1 inch apart
8. Thread the twine, string, or ribbon through each sets of holes so that the two ends hang from the underside of the wing
9. To play, tie wings to arms and wrists with scalloped edge facing backwards

About Elise B.

Elise is 10 years old. She has two cats. When she’s not designing crafts for her grandmother’s books, she enjoys playing hockey, acting, and dancing. Her favorite birds are blue jays.

You can purchase Flutter, Flap, Fly! from these booksellers

Amazon | Star Bright Books | Whitelam Books, Reading, MA (contact for signed copies to pick up) | Beacon Hill Books & Cafe, Boston, MA (contact for signed copies to pick up)

Picture Book Review