The Year We Learned to Fly – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

The Year We Learned to Fly

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book2022

95%

WISE Score

4.8

Amazon

Jacqueline Woodson's lyrical ode to imagination as a superpower—teaching kids to fly above boredom, anger, and limitation.

The Year We Learned to Fly

book

2022

95%

WISE Score

4.8

Amazon

Jacqueline Woodson's lyrical ode to imagination as a superpower—teaching kids to fly above boredom, anger, and limitation.

4.8

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4.8

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Screenwise Verdict

This is the kind of picture book that does everything right. Woodson's text is lyrical without being overwrought, and López's art is a feast. The message—that imagination is a tool for resilience, passed down through generations—is both timely and timeless.

It's not just about 'use your imagination when you're bored.' It's about agency, emotional regulation, and honoring the strength of those who came before. The grandmother's voice is the heart of the book, and it feels real—like wisdom you'd actually hear at the kitchen table.

Kids will love the flying. Parents and educators will love the depth. It's a keeper.

Age Fit

Perfect for preschool through early elementary (ages 4-8), though the themes of resilience and ancestral strength will resonate with older kids and adults too. The illustrations and rhythm make it a great read-aloud for the younger set, while the depth keeps it from feeling babyish.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Jacqueline Woodson's lyrical picture book models emotional regulation, sibling cooperation, and intergenerational connection beautifully. When boredom or anger strikes, the grandmother teaches the children to use imagination as a tool for resilience—a skill rooted in their ancestors' strength. The tone is warm, affirming, and emotionally healthy without being saccharine. It honors difficult history (slavery, resilience) while keeping the focus age-appropriate and empowering.

Imaginative

The entire premise celebrates imagination as a superpower. The children literally 'fly' out of boredom and anger by closing their eyes and believing in possibility. Rafael López's vibrant, dreamlike illustrations amplify the magical-realism feel. The book invites kids to see imagination not as escapism but as a generative, problem-solving force—connecting past, present, and future. It's a love letter to creative thinking.

Safe

This is a picture book with zero content concerns. No violence, no scary imagery, no mature themes beyond age-appropriate references to ancestors' resilience (which is handled with grace, not trauma). The 4.8 Amazon rating and positive parent reviews confirm it's universally safe. Common Sense Media featured it with high praise. Books like this are why the Safe category exists—it's a model of what safe, meaningful content looks like.

Enriching

This book does real emotional and cognitive work. It teaches coping strategies (imagination as emotional regulation), honors Black history and intergenerational wisdom, and models sibling conflict resolution. Kids learn that their minds are tools they can control—a genuinely empowering message. The connection to ancestors' resilience adds depth without being heavy-handed. It's both entertaining (beautiful art, rhythmic text) and substantive.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Teaches practical emotional regulation through imagination—a genuinely useful coping skill for stuck-inside days or sibling squabbles
Rafael López's illustrations are stunning, vibrant, and dreamlike, making the 'flying' feel magical and real at once
Honors Black history and ancestral resilience in an age-appropriate, empowering way that connects past and present
Grandmother's wisdom feels authentic and warm—not preachy—and models intergenerational connection beautifully
The rhythm and language are gorgeous; this is a book kids will want read aloud again and again

⚠

What to Watch For

Brief, gentle references to ancestors' struggles (slavery era) handled with grace and hope—most kids won't need explanation, but some families may want to contextualize
The message is subtle and poetic, not didactic—younger kids will love the flying imagery; older kids will grasp the deeper layers about resilience and history

Conversation Starters

"When you're bored or frustrated, what do you imagine? Where does your mind take you?"
"The grandmother talks about ancestors who had 'beautiful and brilliant minds'—what do you think that means?"
"If you could fly anywhere in your imagination right now, where would you go?"
"How do you think imagining something can change how you feel inside?"

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