Fly

Pure joy and the power of community radiate from this sweet picture book about a young Black girl’s perseverance and confidence in following her double Dutch dreams.

Africa’s grandmother was a double Dutch legend, and Africa knows she can become the same. Her brother scoffs when she signs up for a double Dutch competition, though—how can she hope to compete when she’s never done it before? But Africa has all the tools she needs: memories of her grandmother, her bestie Bianca’s dance moves, her friend Omar’s rhythm, and her classmates’ Mary Mack timing and cartwheels.

If Africa can pull everything together to jump some winning moves, she might just fly, but it’s the birthmark in the shape of her name that tells her she’s always been a winner.

Brittany J. Thurman was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and has since lived in Kentucky, Germany, and North Carolina. She studied theater at Kingston University in London, England. Though she loves to travel, she has never forgotten her roots and calls her grandmother her rock. She lives Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Fly is her picture book debut.

Anna Cunha is a Brazilian illustrator, living and working in Belo Horizonte. She graduated with a degree in fine arts from Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais and got a graduate degree in illustration from EINA Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. She has illustrated more than twenty books for Brazilian and foreign publishers and has won the Aeilij Prize for her work. She’s also been nominated several times for the Jabuti Prize, the most prestigious Brazilian literature prize, been awarded with a special mention at the João-de-Barro Prize, and was one of the Brazilian entrants for the Biennial of Illustration Bratislava.