Taking Flight

One summer day, two children watch a pair of herons take flight.

“Look, he’s doing it again!” whispers Nino.

“Incredible!” breathes Marie. “He’s so funny!”

One summer day, when the sun beats down on doors and heads alike, Marie and Nino hurry off to observe the heron. For several days now, its behavior has been intriguing.

Climate disruption?

A sensory disturbance?

A whimsical mood?

Taking Flight tells the story of the summer sun, holidays spent observing nature, and above all, the birth of an idyll — that of a heron and a heroness, but perhaps something more as well…

The gentleness of Morgane Bellec’s illustrations delicately echoes the subtle writing of Sophie Casteldaccia.

Publication date: May 13, 2026

Author & Illustrator

Sophie Casteldaccia is an author based in Montpellier. Taking Flight is her first book.

Morgane Bellec is an illustrator from Brittany. 
Bibliography: Shimmering Days (le diplodocus, 2025), À dos de loup (Voce Verso, 2021)