Noah Emery

Kevin’s First Flight is a children’s picture book that tells the story about a cardinal named Kevin and his adventure after leaving his nest. Kevin the cardinal soars across the sky, discovers a field of sunflowers, and he weathers a thunderstorm. Kevin’s First Flight is written with a straightforward rhyme structure and paired with vibrant watercolor illustrations.

Shortly after my son was born in April 2018, I thought of an idea to create a unique children’s character. That idea transformed into writing a children’s story based on that character. I can’t wait to read Kevin’s First Flight with him for the first time.

I wanted to create something unique and there are very few storybooks for children that have a bird as the main character. I decided to use a cardinal as the central character and write a children’s story because of the positivity and strength the cardinal represents. Growing up in the Midwest, I reflected back to those cold January and February days when the sight of a cardinal’s bright red feathers brought a jolt of happiness. I thought to myself that most people can relate to that feeling and experience and so I decided to create a character based on that.

My favorite actor has always been Kevin Costner so I thought why not start there. As I was brainstorming and writing the story, it just made more and more sense to use Kevin. The name is simple but forceful. Kevin is two syllables long and it rhymes well. Maybe one day people will see a cardinal and think, ‘Hey there’s a Kevin!’

Turns out that with a newborn there isn’t a lot of sleep involved. Additionally, I have an hour long commute both ways to my day job so I had a lot of time for thought and reflection. Putting my ideas to paper was the hardest part. I wrote and rewrote the story, which is really a poem, for more than three months. Late nights, early mornings, or stuck in traffic, I scribbled notes and edits whenever I could. Kevin’s First Flight is only about 300 words but it was a daunting to get the story to where I wanted it to be.

I wanted to write a story that was fun but also had a positive message. In Kevin’s First Flight, readers will be in for an adventure told in rhyme and with watercolor illustrations. Whether it is the first day of school or spending the night at grandma’s for the first time, readers will learn that perseverance, or overcoming obstacles during a new experience, is an important part of life.