Prepare Your Child for Their First Flight with These Top Books

3 June, 2024

Flying with kids can be an intimidating prospect, especially if it’s their first flight. Navigating airport lines, dealing with loud noises, and managing crowds can be overwhelming for both parents and children. But, the good news is that books can be a BIG help in preparing your child for air travel.

We recently took our 2-year-old daughter on her first plane ride from Chicago to San Francisco and discovered some fantastic children’s books that made the experience smoother. Here are our top picks to help your child get ready for their next flight.

Ages 1-5

This engaging children’s book vividly details air travel through the eyes of adorable animal characters. Using playful rhymes and colorful illustrations, it makes learning about airplanes fun and exciting for young readers. The book covers everything from checking in at the airport to the journey in the sky. We recommend the durable board book version of the book.

Ages 2-5

It’s time to visit grandma! This delightful book helps your little one prepare for every step of the journey, from arriving at the airport to landing and giving grandma a hug. With simple sentences and clear, engaging pictures, it guides young readers through the entire flying experience, making the adventure of air travel feel familiar and exciting.

Ages 2-7

This book is perfect for easing your little one’s anxiety about flying. Written from the perspective of a toy dinosaur who is worried about air travel, Dexter Dino helps console his human friend. Together, they discover all the fun aspects of flying, making the journey exciting and enjoyable. With its engaging story and charming illustrations, this hardcover book is a wonderful companion for any young traveler.

With the help of these wonderful books, our trip out west went smoothly! Our daughter was so excited she didn’t sleep all day, but that actually helped with adjusting to the time change. We hope these recommendations make your next flight with your little one just as enjoyable and stress-free.

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Our children’s literacy experts review hundreds of books per month but are able to include only 5-6 of them in our monthly boxes. So we started this blog series to spill the beans on some amazing books we find along the way!

In certain blog posts, we may earn a small commission if readers choose to purchase books through our provided links. Rest assured, this does not influence the books we include in these articles; our book recommendations are made impartially, regardless of any potential commissions.

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