Little Gems: Sophie Takes To The Sky

Take flight with a truly inspirational tale of courage and self-belief, inspired by the incredible life of Sophie Blanchard, the world’s first female hot-air balloonist

Scaredy-Cat Sophie is afraid of everything! So when a balloonist comes to the town fair, Sophie is left behind while everyone else goes to watch him fly in his marvellous balloon. She's far too frightened of the crowds, the commotion and even riding in a horse-drawn carriage.

But Sophie longs to watch the hot-air balloon sail across the blue sky. If she could just be brave enough to face her fears, who knows where her journey might take her…

A touching tale for young readers of learning to overcome anxiety and follow your dreams.

Reading Age: 5+

Author

Katherine Woodfine is the bestselling author of several books for children, including the Sinclair’s Mysteries series and the Taylor and Rose Secret Agents series. Katherine has been nominated for several prestigious awards, including the Branford Boase Award, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and the Carnegie Medal.

Briony May Smith is the illustrator of children’s fiction including The Giant’s Necklace and Little Bear’s Spring. Briony has twice been highly commended for the Macmillan Children’s Book Prize. She lives in Devon.