Dreams Take Flight
The Story of Deaf Pilot Nellie Zabel Willhite
Nellie Zabel Willhite’s story dips and soars like an airplane in flight.
After losing her hearing at four and following a tumultuous education, Nellie Zabel was introduced to the world of flight while working at the Sioux Falls airport. The planes and pilots captured her imagination as she watched them sail alongside the birds. With some encouragement, she enrolled in pilot training—carefully tailoring the courses to accommodate her deafness. In 1928, she took off on her own, becoming the first female pilot in South Dakota—and the first deaf pilot in the nation.
This Own Voices, Own Stories Award winning book tells Nellie’s story from the perspective of an author with a hearing loss and is supported by Easterseals.
| Interest Level | Grade 1 - Grade 4 |
|---|---|
| Reading Level | Grade 2 |
| Dewey | |
| Lexile | 670L |
| ATOS Reading Level | |
| Guided Reading Level | R |
| Publisher | Sleeping Bear Press |
| Series | Own Voices, Own Stories |
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Available Formats | Hardcover (9781534113558), PDF (9781668961599), ePub (9781668961476), Hosted ebook (9781668961834), Kindle (9781668961711) |
| Copyright | 2025 |
| Number of Pages | 32 |
| Dimensions | 11 x 9 |
| Graphics | Full-color illustrations |
Author: Brittany Richman
Brittany Richman’s three energetic kids are her proudest accomplishment. She and her husband are raising them (and their rambunctious goldendoodle, Rocky) in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Brittany is cofounder of The American Moms blog and a former White House staffer. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children. Brittany has been partially deaf since childhood. So when she first noticed a photo of deaf pilot Nellie Zabel Willhite hanging in her local airport, she was intrigued. She soon learned Nellie deserved more than just a photo. She hopes Nellie’s story will inspire children everywhere to see their own potential for greatness and soar to heights they never thought possible.
Illustrator: Alisha Monnin
Alisha Monnin was born and raised in rural Ohio in a small village where distance is measured by cornfields. Growing up, she was a voracious reader and daydreamed about going on magical adventures. As an adult, she still does! She graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design, and now resides in Cincinnati, Ohio with her cat named Beignet.
| Original artwork |
| Sources for further research |
| Full-color illustrations |