ReadItDaddy's Book of the Week - Week Ending 12th April 2013 - "Zephyr Takes Flight" by Steve Light (Candlewick Press)

This week's "Book of the Week" not only fits beautifully with this week's #ReaditMD13 theme of challenging gender stereotyping in books, it's just such an original and fresh theme that it's a joy to read and behold.

"Zephyr Takes Flight" tells the story of a young girl obsessed with all things aeroplane-shaped. She makes planes out of paper and junk, and she's the world's expert at a triple flip loop-de-loop, performed with much skill (well, a little skill) from the top of her settee at home.

Frustratingly, the adults in Zephyr's house (Grandma, Dad and Mum) don't seem to share her love of aviation and are always too busy to play planes. But after an accident, Zephyr makes an amazing discovery in her room - a tiny door that leads to another world, a world beginning with a dusty old room full of aeroplanes and complicated blueprints, leading to a land filled with flying pigs!

Steve Light's joyful book was an instant hit with Charlotte. She loved Zephyr, a sassy little girl who chews bubblegum and wears a cool pair of flying goggles, she loved the planes - not your cold aluminium tubes with wings but the fabulous cloth and string creations of yore (they reminded her - and me - of the movie "Porco Rosso" which is definitely one of our fave Studio Ghibli flicks).

We ate this up and as soon as we reached the last page we just dived back in for more. A thoroughly well deserved book of the week and we really must see if Steve's ever done any more with Zephyr. If not, why not!

Charlotte's best bit: The door - which reminded her of Coraline (but thankfully without the 'other mother')

Daddy's favourite bit: Mum doing the maintenance, fixing, woodcraft, dad cooking on the stove. Very much liked that, a good gender challenge and Zephyr is also just such a brilliant character with boy and girl appeal.