As a father and daughter cope with a loss, they rediscover an important piece of family history and begin building a new life. Alison Paul and Barbara Lehman's innovative picture book collaboration proves the only difference between reality and a dream . . . is a plan.    PreS-Gr 2—Using only 10 letters to make 20 words, Paul provides the scaffold on which Lehman builds a story. Paul's word ladder, in which letters are added or subtracted from one page to the next: "pals/ Pa's/past/post" are fun, but it's Lehman's watercolors that form a narrative. Her firmly lined pen-and-ink drawings are easily interpreted as they depict a little girl who longs to fly the abandoned bi-plane sitting on her family farm and the way she persuades her widowed father to take to the air again. Readers may feel left hanging by the unexplained backstory. Viewers see father and daughter visiting her mother's grave, but have no idea how she perished. VERDICT It's all a bit sketchy.—Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Library, NY * "Ultimately, hearts will soar with the characters as they fly away in their lovingly restored plane." — Booklist , starred review * "Warmhearted and joyful." — Kirkus , starred review * "This lovely story blends a sense of rootedness with the spirit of exploration—a rare combination." — Publishers Weely , starred review "In this cleverly crafted story, a single word changes by a single letter (added, subtracted, or changed) to move the story along in the next frame or page...the changing words are cunningly developed, and audiences will enjoy guessing what might come next." — Bulletin Alison Paul was born on a Halloween morning. (Her parents are still wonder whether she was a trick or a treat.) She grew up in sunny California and lived a comfortable, snow-free existence until attending the Rhode Island School of Design. She lives in Providence and is an art professor at the University of Connecticut. Barbara Lehman has illustrated many books for children, including The Red Book , which was awarded the Caldecott Honor in 2005. Born in Chicago, Barbara attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, where she earned a BFA in communication design. A full-time illustrator, Barbara says, “Books and art have always held the strongest attraction for me. I have always felt drawn to ‘commercial art’ because of its ability to reach many people. I like the idea of being part of the media in a meaningful and thoughtful way, especially with children as the audience.” She lives in the Hudson Valley in upstate New York. Visit her website at barbaralehmanbooks.com.