Fear of Flying: Let's Go, Hugo! by Angela Dominguez

HUGO WAS A BIT DIFFERENT.

HE PREFERRED WALKING TO FLYING.

The sidewalks of Paris are said to be delightful. Being a boulevardier has its charms. But Hugo is a bird, and strolling around his verdant park is, after all, rather strange for for a bird.

Although he admires the distant Eiffel Tower, Hugo seems content to build models of it on the grass under a tree, near his burrow. (Yes, Hugo is a burrowing bird!)

And then one day Lulu notices him. Lulu is a lovely little bird who can see the famous landmark from the treetop and invites him to fly with her to the Eiffel Tower .

Hugo cannot admit that he is afraid to try to fly, so instead he invites Lulu for a stroll through the park.  The two hit if off, but Hugh is hard put to come up with reasons why he cannot fly with Lulu to the Tower. His ploys work at first: his feathers need to dry, he says, and then he points out, that it seems to be getting too dark to fly. Lulu seems disappointed and takes her leave as she takes to her wings.

HUGO'S HEART SANK. HE'D NEVER SEE THE EIFFEL TOWER NOW!

WHAT IF HE NEVER SAW LULU AGAIN EITHER!

Luckily, Hugo meets a mentor, an night owl named Bernard, and confesses his fears of flying.

"EVERYONE IS AFRAID OF SOMETHING," Bernard said.

Hugh is encouraged by Bernard's offer to help him practice his liftoff, and when Lulu returns, he's still a bit fearful, but ready to try his wings in a flight to the Tower.

In her first book, Let's Go, Hugo! (Dial Books, 2013), artist-illustrator Angela Dominguez illuminates this light story of first-time fears conquered with lovely, light-as-a-feather tissue-paper collage illustrations, as Hugo and Lulu lift off together for their next adventure. "What sets this story apart...is Dominguez's delightful ink and tissue paper collages....A charming little ode to overcoming fear," says Booklist.