Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot is the true story of the Candy Bomber (Gail Halvorsen), as told through the eyes of seven-year-old Mercedes, a girl who grew up in West Berlin during the Berlin Airlift. The story starts with historical background on the airlift and related statistics (some incredible numbers) before covering Mercedes and her experiences there in 1948. She longed for the candy that Halvorsen dropped from the sky, but never got any. So she wrote to the pilot, and received a heartwarming response- and the candy she desired.
This is a great book. The illustrations are wonderful and the story uplifting. What I enjoyed most, though, was the nature of Gail's service. He saw the kids in need and wanted to do something small to give their lives more joy. He was already serving them through his work, making three runs per day to Berlin from Wiesbaden's airfield to drop much-needed supplies like flour. But he went even further, making candy 'bombs' by attaching little parachutes to chocolate bars and dropping them over crowds of children. When the public found out, they chipped in with supplies and assistance, enabling him to drop tons and tons of candy over the seven months he was there. His example is one we should all follow- make 'little' acts of service for others part of our daily routines. He made a difference in thousands of lives in so doing. A little chocolate goes a long way.
My family got to meet Gail Halvorsen in 2019, when he visited Wiesbaden at age 99 (he's still alive as of this writing, aged 101).
Rating: A
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