by Tiffany Stone
illustrated by Brittany Lane
Orca Book Publishers, 2024
ISBN 978-1-4598-3739-3
$21.95 (hc), 32 pp, ages 5 – 9
orcabook.com
The Day Dancer Flew was inspired by an event that occurred in BC in 2021. In November of that year, heavy rains caused severe flooding in parts of the province, and people were forced to evacuate. Although human lives were saved, rescue efforts could not always accommodate animals. In this story, a young girl is forced to flee with her family, leaving her beloved horse, Dancer, behind. Through her determination and the help of dedicated animal rescue professionals, Dancer was eventually flown out of the flood area by helicopter using a special harness.
Classroom Connections: This story has the potential to support several themes in the classroom—coping with natural disasters, relationships between people and animals, and helping others in times of need immediately come to mind. Reader engagement is captured through straightforward text and beautiful illustrations that together tell a story that students will respond to. Reading comprehension strategies that are applicable to this book include inferring, predicting, making connections, and visualizing.
Review by Diana Mumford.
This review is featured in Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Winter 2025 issue.