Wings For Per was originally published in 1944, this inspiring story follows Per, a Norwegian boy who grows up with a strong sense of freedom and duty. As World War II unfolds, Per leaves his homeland, journeys to America, and eventually returns as a pilot to help liberate Norway from tyranny. Told through vivid, signature illustrations by Ingri and Edgar d’Aulaire, this beautifully crafted picture book introduces young readers to courage, sacrifice, and the fight for freedom. Includes extensive historical background on the real-life Per and his adventures.
 
'You are strong,' said the colonel to Per, 'for you are going into battle not to conquer and make people slaves, but to free them. Out of the darkness grew your spirit which will break the enemy's strength. And you and the others like you will carry the victory on, each of you in his own land. Never in the days of happiness to come must you forget the will to sacrifice which the war has taught you. For then you will have won not only the war but also the peace.
 
About the Authors:
Ingri Mortenson and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire met in Munich where both were studying art in the 1920's. Ingri had grown up in Norway; Edgar, the son of a noted portrait painter, was born in Switzerland and had lived in Paris and Florence. Shortly after their marriage, they moved to the United States and began to create the picture books that have established their reputation for unique craftsmanship. Their books were known for their vivid lasting color. This was the result of the painstaking process of stone lithography used for all their American history biographies. This was an old world craft, in which they were both expert, which involved actually tracing their images on large slabs of Bavarian limestone.

Throughout their long careers, Ingri and Edgar worked as a team on both art and text. Their research took them to the actual places of their biographies, including the countries of Italy, Portugal and Spain when they were researching Columbus; to the hills of Virginia while they researched Washington; and to the wilds of Kentucky and Illinois for Abraham Lincoln, winner of the 1940 Caldecott Medal. The fact that they spoke 5 languages fluently served them well in their European travels and in their research of original documents. Since their deaths in the 1980's, Ingri and Edgar's books and works have been kept alive by their two sons Ola and Nils.