Gus is a cautious little fly from Vermont who never learned to fly.
After a mishap, he finds himself in New York City and sets off on an epic adventure to find his way back home. Along the way he meets colorful, diverse characters who show him that courage must come from within.

Reviews for Gus in the Big City

Sweet, witty, empowering!
Gus in the Big City reads like the best of Bill Peet– weaving sweetness and compassion into a universal lesson– success is not how many times you fall, but how many times you get back up.
Kono’s illustrations are intricate, silly, and alluring, complimenting Mason’s warm wit. I look forward to their next book.
If you don’t try, you’ll never fly~~ Go, Gus!
-Susan C.

Importance of practice
This is a good book to emphasize the value of practice! My kid wants to give up if she isn’t good at something the first time she tries. This book gave us a great starting point for conversation — that you get better at the things you keep trying!
The different characters in the book have different accents, which are fun to ham up relentlessly when I read to the kids. And the illustrations are just gorgeous!
– Laura S.

“If you don’t try, you’ll never fly.”
As a teacher, I loved the book’s way of normalizing failure, which is so critical to learning. I can imagine the book creating room for conversations with kids about what they (and we) can’t do, or can almost do.
– Alexander

Great book that teaches kids to keep trying!!
A very cute book that follows Gus on his journey to learn how to fly. It’s got great NYC references (and puns) that parents will love as they read it to their little ones. My kids instantly resonated with the story and was a great reminder to them that even when you fail at first, you’ve got to keep trying!!
-KMR

My son’s new favorite book
I fell in love with the characters and so did my son. He loves all the different accents and adventure. It’s now the book he asks to read again and again.
-CK