Lenox Takes Flight

By 'Iolani L. Bullock

"We are all taking a trip to Thailand!" 

These are the words Lenox's dad excitedly exclaimed over dinner. 

Never having been out of the country or even to the airport, Lenox will finally get to accomplish his dream of boarding an airplane and traveling to a far-off land. After learning that his great

• Language: English
• Publisher: New Degree Press
• Release date: Dec 23, 2021
• ISBN: 9781637307465

Book preview

New Degree Press

Copyright © 2021 'Iolani L. Bullock

All rights reserved.

Lenox Takes Flight

Illustrations by Antonisa Scott and Oscar Feliz, Transcend Studio LLC

ISBN

978-1-63730-990-2 Paperback

978-1-63730-745-8 Kindle Ebook

978-1-63730-746-5 Ebook

To Lenox and Teagan.

May you never stop dreaming, exploring,

and believing.

Of all the books in the world, the best stories are found between the pages of a passport.

—Unknown

Dear Readers

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In 2018, I concocted a plan to make my husband’s international work assignment in Bangkok, Thailand coincide with my parental leave to create an epic adventure for our little family. Growing up in the Bronx, I had a limited worldview. Leaving the country for the first time gave me first-hand experience of how travel can completely expand one’s perspective. It provides a type of education that you could never get in a classroom. Travel also allows you to notice the little things that make people and cultures special—even your own culture. I knew early on that I’d want to provide the same opportunity to my children, and I did just that.

While preparing for our trip, I read that other parents found it helpful to talk to their children about what to expect in order to ease any fear of the unknown and to get them excited. I knew that picture books were not only age appropriate, but would help my son Lenox associate the images with reality once we embarked on our adventure. I scoured the physical and virtual shelves for books that would help him begin to understand the different aspects of travel. I hoped for anything that depicted an airport, boarding a plane, the check-in process, or a passport. The resources were surprisingly scarce. When I did find a book, one thing became painfully clear: none of the characters ever looked like my son. I wondered if he would think that little kids with brown skin didn’t go to airports, or board planes, or meet the flight crew. It was important that he see himself as a traveler, and thus this book idea was born.

At the age of thirteen, I embarked on my first international trip, which completely changed me. It was a novel idea to send our church youth group to World Youth Day in Rome, Italy, and our parish community rallied around us wholeheartedly. Many bake sales, fundraisers, and sacrifices later, we were poised to travel more than four thousand miles away from home. I remember being in the 100-degree heatwave, wondering how I would survive the week-long trip. My thirteen-year-old self thought the food tasted weird. I couldn’t believe that hotels served drinks without ice, and I didn’t understand why everyone kissed on both cheeks. As the week went on, I decided to lean into the differences that I didn’t understand.

The experience made me feel like a fish out of water, challenging my way of thinking. There weren’t many kids in my neighborhood who were afforded such opportunities and far fewer who immediately recognized the value of being removed from their comfort zone. These encounters not only gave me experiences with other cultures and valuable insight into differences amongst people, but it fostered a need to continue broadening my outlook on life. I planned to keep traveling as far and as often as my time and wallet would take me. I found that people had much more in common than I imagined.

Dozens of countries later, I truly believe that travel has been one of the best opportunities that I will ever have and can give my family. I have seen how the experience of different sights, smells, and people of Thailand helped my son broaden his horizons and become open to trying new things. As a mom, I want him to understand that the more open you are to various experiences, the more you recognize that people and things that are different from you aren’t scary, they’re just different.

My son is a beautiful Black boy, existing in spaces like expat communities and airport lounges that were traditionally never meant for him. Travel ads promoting luggage, the experience of boarding a plane, hotels, and airline safety rarely depict Black people. I will never forget the look of surprise on the faces of TSA agents and fellow passengers as we walked through the international terminal and eventually settled into our seats for the long flight. A small family with a little Black baby was an anomaly. Normalizing his presence in these spaces is extremely important for his confidence and for changing the perception of what a traveler looks like. Black kids travel too!

I saw the creation of this story as an opportunity to teach young children about an aspect of American history that isn’t often taught in schools. As you will read in the book, Lenox learns that his great-grandfather was one of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African American military pilots who fought in World War II. After writing this aspect of history into the story, I learned that my own great-grandfather fought in an all-Black military regiment too! The 369th Infantry Regiment, also known as the Harlem Hellfighters, was part of the New York Army National Guard during World War I and II. Learning this part of my own family history was such an incredible coincidence and a sign that this detail in the story was meant to be shared.

Young readers will be inspired to expand their perspective. Two key characters you will encounter include a visually impaired person and her guide dog: characters not often portrayed in children’s literature. You’ll also notice that most of this book takes place in an airport and that was an intentional choice. I want readers to experience the place where people from all walks of life come together to begin their journeys. Ultimately, I want readers to understand that they are just as special as any place they visit and any culture they encounter.

As young readers and educators turn each page of this book, I have many hopes for them.

I hope children of color find comfort and gain confidence in seeing someone who looks like them represented in travel literature.

I hope all children understand that travel is something anyone can experience, no matter their age, ability, or background.

I hope that parents, teachers, and caregivers continue to foster curiosity and a sense of wonder in children.

Enjoy the journey.

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CHAPTER 1

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Lenox blinked twice to try and focus his eyes in the darkness. He could barely make out the open tray table that sat in front of him, holding a bottle of water and a half-eaten cookie. The