FLEDGLING is a fun book. For this story I walked around Coney Island drawing. What a great place to draw! With all the people, the roller coaster and interesting buildings, it was perfect. Then I saw a falcon, a real falcon. So I drew it, too.

      The falcon didn't stay long. He took off and flew way up to the top of a building. And I thought, "I wonder what down here looks like from up there?" And I made a sketch, trying to imagine.

      It must be fun to just fly anywhere you want, see whatever you want. I wondered if it was hard to fly. The first time must be scary- especially in a city. Can you imagine looking over the side of a tall building, all the cars and trucks and people down on the ground, feeling dizzy just thinking about it- and then your parent birds tell you to jump?!! Think of how you would feel!

      I'd be thinking, "You want me to what?!" Just imagine all the things that could happen!

      What if a helicopter almost ran you over?

      What if you crashed into a window?

      What if another big bird decided to make you its dinner?
Anything could happen on your first flight.

      But then I started to think- nah, MY first flight would be a lot of fun. I would fly in and out of the old buildings. I would land on top of a roller coaster car and take a free ride.

      And at the end of the day I would come back home to my family and they would all say, "That was a very good first flight!"