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Taking Off: Airborne with Mary Wilkins Ellis
Witness the true story of how Mary Wilkins Ellis’ childhood passion for flying led to an exciting career in the air, written and illustrated by a Caldecott Medalist.
As a child, Mary Wilkins Ellis longed to fly, but she had to wait until she was 16 before she could have her first lesson. She soon became the youngest licensed pilot in her English county, but then all civilian flight was banned when Germany launched its attacks on Britain in 1940. Mary was grounded.
One day she chanced to hear a radio appeal for Britons with pilot’s licenses—even women—to join the Air Transport Auxiliary and ferry brand new fighter planes to Royal Air Force bases. Mary immediately applied, and spent the rest of the war delivering hundreds of different kinds of aircraft—most of which she’d never flown before—forming lifelong bonds with her colleagues, surviving many a close call, and helping to save her country from destruction.
After the war she became a flight instructor, ran an air taxi service, then managed an airfield, the only woman in Europe to do so. In her spare time, she won rallies in her racing car. Mary’s childhood dream became a thrilling lifetime aloft, lasting until she died at 101.
With watercolor and ink illustrations which perfectly capture the exhilaration of flying, Taking Off brings this little-known figure and her can-do spirit to life.
Extensive material in the back of the book includes additional information about Mary Wilkins Ellis and the Airport Transport Auxiliary, as well as sources.
As a child, Mary Wilkins Ellis longed to fly, but she had to wait until she was 16 before she could have her first lesson. She soon became the youngest licensed pilot in her English county, but then all civilian flight was banned when Germany launched its attacks on Britain in 1940. Mary was grounded.
One day she chanced to hear a radio appeal for Britons with pilot’s licenses—even women—to join the Air Transport Auxiliary and ferry brand new fighter planes to Royal Air Force bases. Mary immediately applied, and spent the rest of the war delivering hundreds of different kinds of aircraft—most of which she’d never flown before—forming lifelong bonds with her colleagues, surviving many a close call, and helping to save her country from destruction.
After the war she became a flight instructor, ran an air taxi service, then managed an airfield, the only woman in Europe to do so. In her spare time, she won rallies in her racing car. Mary’s childhood dream became a thrilling lifetime aloft, lasting until she died at 101.
With watercolor and ink illustrations which perfectly capture the exhilaration of flying, Taking Off brings this little-known figure and her can-do spirit to life.
Extensive material in the back of the book includes additional information about Mary Wilkins Ellis and the Airport Transport Auxiliary, as well as sources.
40 pages, Hardcover
Published February 1, 2022
1 person is currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Emily Arnold McCully
192 books76 followersEmily Arnold McCully received the Caldecott Medal for Mirette on the High Wire. The illustrator of more than 40 books for young readers, she divides her time between Chatham, New York, and New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 27, 2024
I love Amelia Earhart, but more and more it seems like she was the one aviator that was allowed to be a woman. As though she were the only one. But there were so many. So many women who worked to be aviators ever since the beginning of flight (see: Born to Fly: The First Women's Air Race Across America or even Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane).
But because we have clung so hard to the single story we were were allowed to have, all those other women have become invisible. To the point where their inclusion (or any minority inclusion) in aviation even now is seen as a lowering of standards. But diversity has been in aviation all along.
This is about a pilot who pursued her passion at a young age, then when war hit she had necessary skills and made flight an occupation for the rest of her life. A fascinating story about a more behind-the-scenes aspect of wartime aviation, and the importance of all pieces of the wartime puzzle.
But because we have clung so hard to the single story we were were allowed to have, all those other women have become invisible. To the point where their inclusion (or any minority inclusion) in aviation even now is seen as a lowering of standards. But diversity has been in aviation all along.
This is about a pilot who pursued her passion at a young age, then when war hit she had necessary skills and made flight an occupation for the rest of her life. A fascinating story about a more behind-the-scenes aspect of wartime aviation, and the importance of all pieces of the wartime puzzle.
May 5, 2023
What an interesting story! Mary had always wanted to fly as a child, and got her pilot's license at age 16. In 1941, she joined the Air Transport Auxiliary, or ATA, and began flying planes of all types from factories to RAF airfields, and sometimes from the airfields to the frontline. Over the course of the war she flew over 1,000 planes of 76 different types, and after the war, the RAF asked her to continue ferrying planes for them before eventually relocating to the Isle of Wight to manage the Sandown Airport. Are you sensing a theme here? Mary loved flying, and stayed as close to it as she could throughout her life, achieving many firsts as a woman pilot. What an amazing woman!
I love seeing stories like this, highlighting the more behind-the-scenes people that did great things but didn't get the accolades they deserved!
I love seeing stories like this, highlighting the more behind-the-scenes people that did great things but didn't get the accolades they deserved!
May 22, 2022
Interesting book about the ATA which I first learned about from Elizabeth Wein's books and Midsomer Murders. Some of the page design is not the best with black text over dark images (like page 18 with some of the large paragraph over the dark body of the plane with Mary in the cockpit).
Really fascinating story of a larger thing (ATA) as exhibited by an individual life. I like McCully's artwork--it feels very Rockwell-esque which works with the 1940s setting and I like how bright everything is. Each illustration really pops.
Auithor's note, source notes, brief list of additional sources at the end. And page numbers! Weirdly part of an end quote is in purple ("Up in the air, you're on your own, ..." with everything but own in purple--printing error?).
Really fascinating story of a larger thing (ATA) as exhibited by an individual life. I like McCully's artwork--it feels very Rockwell-esque which works with the 1940s setting and I like how bright everything is. Each illustration really pops.
Auithor's note, source notes, brief list of additional sources at the end. And page numbers! Weirdly part of an end quote is in purple ("Up in the air, you're on your own, ..." with everything but own in purple--printing error?).
March 22, 2022
Did you know women flew planes during World War 2? I had no idea and this is one of my favorite time periods to read and learn about. This is the story of Mary Wilkins Ellis who became a licensed pilot at the age of 16 and soon after joined the Air Transport Auxiliary. She flew brand new fighter planes to the Royal Air Force bases during World War Two. It was a fascinating story and interesting perspective on this seemingly well covered area of history.
March 28, 2022
Cool story of how Mary learned to fly and eventually joined the British war effort as an Air Transport pilot.
I had no idea that the pilots flew whatever aircraft needed to go, so there was no special training for the plane -- they read notes and flew. She flew over 100 types of aircraft!
I also had no idea that the war effort needed so many different air transport pilots. There were 168 women and thousands of men.
I had no idea that the pilots flew whatever aircraft needed to go, so there was no special training for the plane -- they read notes and flew. She flew over 100 types of aircraft!
I also had no idea that the war effort needed so many different air transport pilots. There were 168 women and thousands of men.
February 22, 2022
Mary learns how to fly a plane, but is grounded when war begins. She wants to serve her country, but women were not allowed in the Royal Air Force... until war ramps up, and the prime minister calls on citizens to serve. Anyone of age with flight experience is encouraged to join, and Mary eagerly does.
March 21, 2022
I have read various books about the WASPS in the United States, but this was my first time reading about the British equivalent of this wartime airplane transport service. I really enjoyed this picture book biography, and would recommend it to kids and adults who are interested in World War II and women in aviation.
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November 13, 2021Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
December 5, 2022
Very informative and interesting (even if all my toddler cared about was the airplane propellers!) I didn't know about the ATA, so this was educational for me.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews