Cover Image: Freddie the Flyer

Freddie the Flyer

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Member Reviews

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. It is a beautiful picture book about a little boy who wants to fly after he sees an airplane for the first time. He then grows up and follows his dreams to fly, and you get to fly with him through his adventures.

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"Freddie the Flyer" is an inspiring true story about Freddie Carmichael, the first indigenous pilot. In this captivating children's book, I learned a lot about Freddie's life, passion, grit, and remarkable accomplishments. The narrative takes an interesting approach by unfolding Freddie's journey through the months of the year, providing a unique structure to the story.

One of the highlights of the book is its beautiful illustrations, which not only enhance the visual appeal but also bring Freddie's story to life. The author successfully celebrates Freddie's achievements, making it a motivating read for young readers. This book serves as a great introduction to the life of a trailblazing figure and instills important values of perseverance and following one's dreams. "Freddie the Flyer" is a wonderful blend of education and inspiration, making it an excellent choice for children eager to learn about real-life heroes and their extraordinary journeys.

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Freddie the Flyer is an absolutely lovely picture book biography that tells the story of co-author Freddie Carmichael, the first Indigenous pilot in the arctic. The story uses the months of the year to create a linear chronological narrative of Freddie's life, and includes both Gwich'in (which Freddie is) and Inuvialuktun translations of the month names as the region Freddie is from is the traditional territory of both. The end notes also include a pronunciation guide and translations of the literal meanings. The story shows off Freddie's hard work and dedication as a pilot and as a member of his community. It's a sweet, charming, and inspiring tale that kids interested in aviation will be sure to enjoy. The illustrations are also gorgeous paintings that are stunning to look at. Definitely recommended!

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‘Freddie the Flyer’ by Danielle Metcalf-Chenail and Fred Carmichael with illustrations by Audrea Loreen-Wulf is a picture book about indigenous aviator Freddie Carmichael.

Told as a one year calendar, with each month highlighting key moments in the subjects life, we start in January, where young Freddie sees a seaplane and the dream of flying is planted. Freddie became the first indigenous commercial pilot and has flown for 70 years. He has done supply runs, transported sled dogs and search and rescue missions in the Western Arctic, a pretty unforgiving environment. Along with the English names of each month, the reader will learn those months in Gwich’in and Inuvialuktun at the same time.

This is an inspiring true story and it is beautifully illustrated. Freddie’s story is not as well known in the US, but this is a captivating read.

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The passage of a year and the passage of life. Although, Fred Carmichael hasn’t hit New Year’s yet!

…that metaphor got away from me. Anyways!

For the people of the Northwest Territories, sleds, skis, and snowshoes over ice may handle the day-to-day living, but getting above it all can change lives. And so was Freddie’s changed when, as a young boy, he saw his first plane. And very soon, he became a pilot, serving his community and others in the often-inaccessible Arctic.

Freddie, a First Nations man of the Gwich’in, made history not only through flight, but through business, founding multiple aviation companies. But his work wasn’t merely commercial, as he often ran medical and rescue flights.

The artwork is acrylic on canvas, which is somewhat rare in picture books, nowadays! It gives the printed artwork an interesting texture and fuzziness, which works really well with the natural settings. The skies are particularly striking!

Advanced reader copy provided by the publisher.

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A fantastic story about Fred Carmichael, who was the first Indigenous pilot to the Arctic [who is STILL flying today, almost 70 years after first getting his pilot's license!! Amazing!].

With gorgeous illustrations framing the story, young Freddie dreams of flying, which seems impossible. He works hard, saves all his money and finally is able to go to school to be a pilot, his dreams realized!!

Kids and adults alike will love this true, heart-warming story [the glossary at the end, with Indigenous language pronunciations and explanations is so helpful AND educational and I was grateful for it] about how even seemingly impossible dreams CAN come true.

Very well done!!

Thank you to Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail, Fred Carmichael, Audrea Loreen-Wulf - Illustrator, and Penguin Random House Canada/Tundra Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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'Freddie the Flyer' by Danielle Metcalfe-Chenai and; Fred Carmichael is clearly a work of love. It is a true story of an Arctic pilot. The illustrations are beautiful and lively. The story is a biography so unless you have a way to relate it to the reader it could be a bit boring for young readers.

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Freddie the Flyer is a very informative journey through the life of an indigenous man from the North who, as a boy, dreamed of flying a plane. The story is told in the form of a calendar, month by month, and tells us of Freddie's dreams, his hard work, and the wonderful things he does for his community. Very inspiring story, beautiful illustrations, and a great message to follow your dreams, work hard, and do good! We learned a lot about life in the North and really enjoyed this book!

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this advanced review copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review on the book!

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The illustrations were alright, but not memorable. I had never heard of this historic person before so I enjoyed learning something new.

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Freddie Carmichael was the first Indigenous commercial pilot in the Canadian Arctic. The book chronicles Freddie's life from his childhood when he first saw a plane up close to his career as a pilot, rescuing stranded prospectors and transporting sled dogs across the Mackenzie Delta.

Freddie the Flyer offers an opportunity to discuss ambition, resilience, and cultural heritage. It invites children to think about their dreams and how they can overcome obstacles to achieve them and encourages them to appreciate and respect diverse cultures.

Discussion Questions:
1. What inspired Freddie to become a pilot?
2. How did Freddie's adventures contribute to his community?
3. How do you think Freddie felt when he was flying?
4. Can you imagine what it might be like to rescue someone in a blizzard like Freddie did?
5. Why do you think it's important to learn about different cultures and languages, like the Gwich'in and Inuvialuktun names for the months?
6. Do you have a dream or goal like Freddie? What steps could you take to achieve it?

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Once again a definite yes from me based on this story being Canadian. I am not Canadian myself, but I feel like there are a lot of stories above my neighboring country that just aren't told often. Why do people forget about Canada so much?

This was a good memoir as well because it mixed English and Inuvialuit language together. Just one more step to keep alive a language history has worked to suppress.

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The pictures in this book were some of the most beautiful I've seen. The story isn't quite what I thought it was going to be from the description. My child loves airplanes which is why I picked this book. I think my child was too small to be captivated by the story, but would definitely be interesting to an older child.

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Beautifully illustrated book and a wonderful story that I hadn't heard about before. The text layout was a bit confusing at times but overall a great read

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Really interesting look at a pioneering aviator who was “half Scottish-Irish, half Gwich'in and one hundred percent shy.” The book describes his life in a way that is interesting and easy to understand for kiddos. I really appreciated the ancillary materials in the back giving an additional biography and some indigenous language information. I’m not sure I clearly understood the decision to organize the text by months but overall, lovely read!

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I loved this book because of the beautiful true story but also because of the beautiful illustrations. My children were captivated by Freddy’s story and persistence and they loved the illustrations of the arctic including the northern lights. A wonderful story for children that also weaves the seasons of the arctic into the illustrations and story.

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A picture book biography of a little known boy in the Northwest Territories who dreamed of being a pilot. Highlighting stages of Freddie's life, we see how he achieved his original goal and more. Rich, vivid art accompanies this story in a kind of illustrated time line celebrating Freddie's accomplishments.

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Beautiful illustrations and an interesting story about an inspiring man! I loved the organ trig the year as the story also progresses through Freddie's life.

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This picture book biography is about an indigenous pilot's early years and storied career. The book celebrates his culture, his passion for flight, and his many accomplishments, which include saving lives. There is a glossary in the back to define words from different languages.

The one thing I found odd about this book is the structuring device. The book breaks things up based on the twelve months of the year, but this book covers multiple decades, not a single year. It's also unclear if the different events shared each truly happened in the stated month or not. I think this would have been stronger told as a typical picture book biography without stuff about the months breaking up the flow and raising unanswered questions.

Nonetheless, this is an educational, engaging story that will appeal to many people. The art is exceptional, and the illustrations introduce the beauty of the Arctic. This book's unique cultural perspective and exciting stories will engage kids and adults, and this would make a great selection for families, classrooms, and libraries.

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This book tells the story of Frederick Carmichael, the first indiginous pilot in the Arctic, and his journey from a boy who loved planes to a pilot helping others and performing daring rescues. The story is intriguing and full of adventure.

The illustrations are gorgeous. They are clearly painted on canvas, which is unusual, and showcase the beauty of the Arctic landscape, animals, people, and northern lights. And, of course, airplanes.

The text includes Gwich'in and Inuvialuit terms with a glossary and pronounciation guide (which I appreciated).

*Thanks to NetGalley and Tundra Books for providing an early copy for review.

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I am so appreciative of the opportunity to read picture books like this one that share important and diverse stories. The illustrations of the arctic beautifully captured the landscape over the course of a year - I loved the nuances of the seasons. I found it to be slightly confusing that the book was divided into months but covered well over a year - it was pretty much Freddie's entire life. At the start of one month he is ten, and then receives his pilots licence at 16. I had to reread the sentence a few times to make sure I hadn't misunderstood because I thought he was 10 and flying. The jumps throughout his life, without indicators of how much time had passed made this feel a little more abstract. I wonder if ages, rather than months could have served as easier dividers for the structure.

This book will definitely be enjoyed by kids who loves planes and flying, are interested in the arctic, and want to learn more Indigenous stories.

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