Reach for the Sky: How Two Brothers Built an Airplane in Chinatown: How Two Brothers Built an Airplane in Chinatown

As the Great Depression brought families and cities to their knees, Robert Shun Wong and his younger brother Tommy, dreamed of flying. Money was tight, racial discrimination was high and times were tough. But in the heart of Vancouver’s Chinatown, the two brothers built a single-seat plane - a Pietenpol Sky Scout. Pushing the boundaries of their world, Robert and Tommy were soon flying beyond their wildest dreams!

This inspiring true story, by Robert’s daughter Evelyn Wong, tells of the pioneering years in aviation and the incredible contributions made by the Chinese Canadian community. Reach for the Sky invites young readers to test their limits and set their eyes beyond the horizon.

Evelyn Sue Wong, author of the first Singapore multilingual picture book series Just a little Mynah, loves to spark children’s curiosity. Growing up in Canada, she earned her pilot’s license at nineteen, which broadened her horizons. In Reach for the Sky, she shares the true story of her father and uncle, teenage brothers from Vancouver’s Chinatown who built and flew their own airplane, launching a pioneering partnership in Canadian aviation. Now living in Singapore, Evelyn hopes to inspire children everywhere to reach for the sky.

Sarah Ang is a children’s book author and illustrator. She loves depicting landscapes, nature and history. Her favourite mediums are watercolours and Chinese ink. Sarah’s first book The River That Brings Us Life journeys through the historical story of the Singapore River’s clean-up. Reach for the Sky is a collaboration to tell a very special story about two brothers who brought their childhood dream to reality.