Lucy’s Fantastic Flying Adventure
Pauline Chan
Friesen Press (2025)
ISBN: 978-1038315922
Reviewed by Shawna Thompson for Reader Views (07/2025)
Did you know that Sun bears are the smallest bear species in the world, standing only about 70 cm (about 27.5 inches) tall at the shoulder? Meet Lucy, a beautiful black sun bear. Lucy is special because she has a golden crest shaped like a horseshoe on her chest. Although she is small, she is lovable and curious.
Lucy’s head sparkles with ideas, and her latest inspiration is to build a flying machine. After constructing her first flying machine, which she namesMarvel, with its cute owl eyes and hornbill wings, she’s eager to go exploring. Lucy sets off on an adventure to discover mountains, villages, and rice paddies. Along the way, she encounters foxes, snakes, and scary big-eared giants. She faces her fears and soon makes new friends: Askor the orangutan, King Luwi the pawn, and Min the pygmy elephant. Together, they become quite the team and learn what friendship is.
Lucy’s Fantastic Flying Adventure by Pauline Chan is a book with pages of colorful illustrations that will capture the youngest child’s imagination. With its fun and unique animals, the story will grab their attention and keep them asking for another read. I found the unique animals to be a great addition; children will ask questions and want to learn more about them. I know I did! Think of the lessons you can do on Sun Bears, the animal kingdom, and habitats. The story is enhanced by the beautiful illustrations of D. Thomas.
As a teacher, I find it hard to incorporate figurative language in my classroom. Children are required to learn personification, alliteration, and onomatopoeia at a young age. Chan has added these skills in her book, making it a great teaching tool for classrooms. An example of an onomatopoeia that she has added in red writing:
The giants went quite mad, with a stomp and a sputter! Their ears went wild, with a flick and a flutter.
She also incorporates rhyming words and a rhythmic structure, such as,
She can create the most wonderful things with her hands and the tools that nature brings.
Adding color-coded words and phrases will make it easier for the youngest readers to learn and identify these advanced skills.
Lucy’s character has themes of friendship, bravery, and courage. These characteristics are all important in our homes and classrooms. Helping children learn and incorporate them daily is invaluable. Overall, I have found valuable lessons that I can start teaching in my classroom as soon as tomorrow. We can have fun creating our own Marvel flying machine and include a cool STEM lesson as well! As a teacher and parent, I give Pauline Chan’s Lucy’s Fantastic Flying Adventure five stars, and I’m excited to share it with my class this year.