FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 1/15/25
Cedar Pruitt, M.Ed.
https://CedarPruitt.com
SUPPORTING WILDFIRE AWARENESS WITH A NONFICTION PICTURE BOOK ABOUT A REAL-LIFE SURPRISE BETWEEN AN OWL AND A HELICOPTER PILOT
Boston, MA. Wildfire is the major theme of the lyrical nonfiction STEM picture book FIRE FLIGHT: A WILDFIRE ESCAPE from leading publisher Capstone. This feel-good book, for ages 3-8, is an important resource for talking with children about wildfire and climate change. As parents, teachers, librarians, administrators, firefighters, policy makers and others struggle to address those topics and to make change, books can help, and this one is packed with hope.
Author Cedar Pruitt explores, in easy-to-read, lyrical prose, the true story of an owl that flew out of a California wildfire and into a firefighting helicopter, where it stayed for several water drops before flying out again. The pilot snapped an incredible photo, which is included in the book.
“Thanks to this powerful photo, the owl’s story made headlines around the world,” says Pruitt. “I retold the story in spare, kid-friendly lyrical text to capture the suspense and danger of the moment, as well as the moment of connection between the pilot and the owl. I love the way that Chiara Fedele’s lush oil pastel illustrations bring my narrative to life. FIRE FLIGHT will hook readers who are curious about wildfire, firefighting, helicopters, climate change and natural habitats.”
“There are so many headlines these days about wildfire that feel overwhelming, sad, scary or threatening…and kids notice,” she continued. “As a parent myself, I know the relief of finding a news story that is not only surprising and delightful, but also about connection and safety.”
Media Interviews: Author Cedar Pruitt is available for media interviews and discussions about the challenges parents face in navigating the current climate of wildfire, why school is a great setting for talking about this issue, and the importance of literacy and engagement in educating the next generation about climate change, ecology, connection, and more.
In the clip linked below, the author is interviewed on a CBS morning show and discusses how FIRE FLIGHT provides opportunities to build literacy, awareness, and empathy – while inviting discussion about natural habitat and climate change.
Teachers, librarians, and administrators: Cedar Pruitt is available to come to your school, library, conference, Family Literacy Night, book fair and much more! With interactive and engaging questions, tools and activities, Cedar helps cultivate appetites for reading, writing, poetry and nonfiction in students of all ages. Click here for rates and workshops.
Drawing on her Ed.M. from Harvard University, expertise as a facilitator, and a decade+ of hosting and observing author visits in public schools, she understands the value and opportunity of creating moments that pop for students. She invites them into the world of ideation, reading, writing and revising. Based in greater Boston, Massachusetts, she offers classroom visits and assemblies across New England, and is also willing to travel.
As a work of easy-to-understand poetic nonfiction, FIRE FLIGHT is aligned with the recommendation from The National Council of Teachers of English, which urged educators to increase the amount of nonfiction in the lives of children in grades K-12. In a 2023 position paper, the NCTE wrote, “With so much to offer young people as readers and thinkers, nonfiction should play a far more robust role in the reading and learning lives of young people in and out of school.”
Pruitt’s second lyrical nonfiction picture book, WHAT MARCEL FOUND: THE INCREDIBLE DISCOVERY OF THE LASCAUX CAVE PAINTINGS, with award-winning illustrator David Litchfield (Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster, 2026), tells the story of four kids searching for treasure in a forest in occupied France in 1940 – who uncover exquisite 17,000-year-old cave paintings that permanently change our understanding of humanity.
Features of FIRE FLIGHT include:
- Real Photo, Real-life Story, Ripped from the Headlines. Good news can be hard to find among scary headlines, but this real-life story made headlines around the world due to the incredible photo taken by the helicopter pilot – and rendered in full detail in this book.
- Timely Connection to Climate + Natural Environment. Climate change is hard to ignore, even for young readers, and this book offers a gentle way to address the topic. In an age of growing climate awareness, modern parents seek stories like this one that build meaningful and memorable connections between readers and the natural world. This book provides abundant opportunities to reflect on our collective experience as well as suggestions for kid-friendly climate action.
- Firefighting + Helicopters. For kids excited about vehicles and firefighters, this book offers nonstop action – from the chop, chop, chop of the blades to the gush of water dropping on the flames below.
- Animal Connections and Kid Appeal. Kids love stories about special connections with animals, and they may even have a story of their own – making this theme timeless. Owls may as well have their own fan club! They are the subject of fascination for many children, and facts about owls never cease to amaze people of any age. Whether at a school visit, at a wildlife demonstration, or in the wild, most kids have encountered an owl; and the star of this book, the screech owl, is common in the Americas.
- Lyrical Nonfiction. Cedar Pruitt’s spare, kid-friendly poetry tells a story that is by turns scary, heartwarming, humorous and empathetic.
- Lush Illustrations. Using colorful oil pastel, Chiara Fedele brings the reader up close to a terrible wildfire; inside a cockpit; over a heartbreakingly beautiful forest; and face to face with a nervous pilot and an unforgettable owl.
- Backmatter. Featuring an author’s note that educates readers about wildfires and climate change, as well as a view into the author’s inspiration for the story, FIRE FLIGHT offers a satisfying combination of art, story, insight, and heart.
FIRE FLIGHT: A WILDFIRE ESCAPE can be purchased wherever books are sold, in hardcover with library binding at $18.99. The ISBN is 9781684468867.
For more information on this book, visit https://CedarPruitt.com
About Cedar Pruitt: Cedar Pruitt is the author of the children’s books FIRE FLIGHT: A Wildfire Escape from Capstone, about an owl’s real-life surprise ride in a firefighting helicopter, and the forthcoming WHAT MARCEL FOUND: The Incredible Discovery of the Lascaux Cave Paintings from Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster. Cedar Pruitt holds an Ed.M. from Harvard University and works as a facilitator and consultant in culture and leadership. She lives in greater Boston, Massachusetts with her family.
Instagram: @CedarPruittBooks
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551221934241
URL Source in Text:
The National Council of Teachers of English
Position Statement on the Role of Nonfiction Literature (K–12)
https://ncte.org/statement/role-of-nonfiction-literature-k-12
Cedar Pruitt 