Author Julie Whitney

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I wrote Astra The Lonely Airplane, a rhyming children’s picture book, after my husband’s job as Chief Pilot of a corporate jet came to a grinding halt during the COVID-19 pandemic. I sat her beautiful interior one last time and openly wept, feeling sick to my stomach wondering what would become of her, and how long she would in the hangar before being flown again. Astra The Lonely Airplane, (Brandylane Publishers, Inc.), a rhyming picture book, was released on March 2, 2022. The book is appropriate for children ages 3-10, and includes a 3-minute video with an up close and personal tour of Astra with the real Captain Dan, (my husband), along with a two-page-glossary.

The second book in the series, entitled Astra In Hollywood, was released on March 4, 2024 during “Read Across America Week.” The sequel picks up where Astra The Lonely Airplane leaves us, as Astra is getting settled in to her hangar in Hollywood. She finds herself surrounded by three new friends: Lana, a sleek beautiful Learjet; a giant cargo plane named Hank; and Helen the crime-fighting helicopter! When Lana, Hank and Helen are each faced with unexpected problems, Astra discovers that you don’t need to be the fastest, strongest or bravest to be important. It’s being a good friend that makes you a star!