Cromwell Dixon's Sky-Cycle

    Yes, that day has finally arrived... the day the UPS box arrived on my porch with copies of Cromwell Dixon's Sky-Cycle.  So it's not hard to imagine how exciting that book launch party must have been!  I even took a picture to commemorate the event.  When it's unlikely anything will ever happen again, at least there'll be a picture.

    'Cromwell Dixon's Sky-Cycle' is the title.  It's a fantastic true story about a boy who had a dream to build his own flying airship in Columbus, Ohio in 1907.  This book is a real boy's book... with daring, adventure, danger and amazing inventions... all built by a boy in his own backyard.  I'm hoping the same audience that liked 'The Dangerous Book for Boys' might like it.

    The reviews so far have been good.  I'm especially flattered that they liked the writing.  That means a lot to me.  I wanted this non-fiction book to read like fiction, so the best notice I could imagine was a comment from Kids Lit Blog who wrote: "The picture book has a real period feel with the author throwing in turn-of-the-century terms to evoke the time.  The illustrations too offer a sense of history.  I especially enjoyed that it is not until the afterword that you discover that this is a true story."

    I'm always afraid that many kids might think old fashioned stuff is a bore. I hope not, since I think the subject of the age of early aviation is fascinating.  I tried to cast the whole book more along the lines of Jules Verne.

 

    This was the first book I've done entirely as a hybrid of real and digital mediums... so that was challenging.  And I'm very happy with the outcome in print.  I made up a mini-website about the book at cromwelldixonsskycycle.com

Comments

[Barbara]

John, it just looks fantastic!!!!!! I wish you lived closer so I cold get an autographed copy. I think this book is a winner for sure.

[rosie]

I really enjoyed your website! Your book reviews are wonderful reading. Have you heard of Danny the Dragon? It’s worth a review: http://DannyTheDragon.com Please let me know if you are interested in reviewing this nominee for Best Children’s Book of 2009! info@DannyTheDragon.com Thank you, Rosie

[aerocrat]

First solo-driver dirigeablewoman was Aida Acosta (see Wiki) - before Nellie Dixon, Cromwell' mother

[Imee Baronda]

Awesome this book will be the one my kid will choose! He really likes to be a pilot and reading a book up in the air, really makes him stone in any side of our home. Thankful I'd cross this site. Keep and up and more power!

From the Philippines,
Imee
ChooseYourOwnAdventureBooks.org for Kids, Adults and Teachers

[Kids stories]

Very very happy and glad that i visited ur site..Really the pix and story is apt for the kids to read and surelly their gonna enjoy it..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bDNMuA795U Though it is pretty late that i visited ur site , i surelly gonna come back again and again...

[Advocate Art]

Some lovely work on here!

From the Advocate team.

www.advocate-art.com