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PIRATE THIS BOOK!
BUY A PRINT COPY OF THIS BOOK
As a self-published author, my distribution network is … you!
Can you help me to promote this book? For example:
• Email this PDF to your friends & other parents• Link to the book’s website from your blog, Facebook wall or Twitter account.• Mention the book to friends, teachers, or other parents who might enjoy it.
Yes, you have my permission to copy it! I’m hoping that folks who read the digital version might buy a print copy for their kids, or as gifts for friends. Thanks! —Matt
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CHARLIE WEATHERBURN and the
FLYING MACHINE
Written and illustrated by Matthew Magain
PublishedbyMatthewMagain
Web:charlieweatherburn.com Email:[email protected]
Facebook:facebook.com/charlie.weatherburn Twitter:twitter.com/cweatherburn
Firstedition,June2011©2011byMatthewMagain
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystemortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,
recording,orotherwise,withoutpriorwrittenpermissionofthepublisher.
Requestsforpermissioncanbemadebyemailtohello@charlieweatherburn.com.
NationalLibraryofAustraliaCataloguing-in-Publicationentry:
Author:Magain,Matthew.Title:CharlieWeatherburnandtheFlyingMachine[electronicresource]
WrittenandillustratedbyMatthewMagain.Edition:1sted.
ISBN:9780987091116(ebook)TargetAudience:Forpre-schoolage.
DeweyNumber:A823.4
TheillustrationsinthisbookweredoneusingaMacBookPro,AdobeIllustrator,AdobePhotoshop,aWacomBambootablet,
andPhotoshopBrushesfrombrusheezy.comThetextwassetinGaramondPremierProandFuturaCondensed.
AuthorphotocreditRuthEllison.
ForSophia,forwhomIbeganthisbook.AndforIndigo,forwhomIfinishedit.
Charlie Weatherburn was a mathematician.
A lover of numbers, he thrived on addition, Subtraction, division and multiplication.
All day he would dream about big calculations.
One blustery morning while opening his gate, Lost in his thoughts of twelve, nineteen and eight,
Charlie was swept up by a terrible gale; His trusty umbrella formed quite a good sail.
Poor Charlie was terrified; the wind was so strong! It lifted and twisted and carried him along.
He flapped his bag clumsily, like a bird with one wing Then Charlie realised that he was in fact … flying!
He wiggled his arms and regained some control,
Narrowly missing the roof of town hall.
He soared past the bus stop, and then with a lurch,
Charlie landed, unharmed, in the grounds of the church.
“How exciting!” he thought—for rather than fear, Charlie was filled with a crazy idea.
He hurried back home, alive with a scheme To design and to build his own flying machine.
Charlie worked until midnight, and possibly later, Plotting trajectories with his calculator.
With the laws of physics on his side, he’d try To fly once again, and be king of the sky.
His wings were composed of umbrellas and plastic, Attached to a harness with strengthened elastic.
He donned a bike helmet, to protect his head, And dressed in a bodysuit, shiny and red.
The sky was bright blue for Charlie’s first flight, Though the lack of a breeze gave him momentary fright.
He took a big run-up, then reached for the sky To prove once and for all that he really could fly.
At first, Charlie felt like a million bucks. He fluttered his arms and ascended past ducks. “I did it! I’m flying again!” he declared,
As he glided through clouds—a big, awkward, red bird.
The townsfolk below were all stunned and amazed As Charlie climbed higher, bold and unfazed. The maiden voyage of his flying machine Was like nothing that anyone had ever seen.
In his plans, Charlie factored a number of things: Gravity, wind speed, the span of his wings.
But there was one crucial element that his formula missed: His arms soon got tired—shoulders, biceps and fists.
Soon Charlie could no longer flap them at all, He lost all his energy and started to fall.
He tried desperately, but the flying had stopped, And into a rubbish bin …
… poor Charlie
dropped.
The garbage container into which he fell Left Charlie’s costume with a terrible smell.
The stench was so bad that he left his red suit In the dumpster, and had to walk home in the nude!
His wings, broke and crumpled, now useless for flying, Were handy to stop the commuters from spying.
The stinky, nude, maths genius tiptoed home in shame And vowed never to fly again …
… except in a plane!
THE REAL CHARLIE WEATHERBURN
Professor Charles Weatherburn was born in Sydney in 1884, and died in Perth in 1974. He taught mathematics in Australia, New Zealand and England, and the Weatherburn lecture theatre at the University of Western Australia is named in his honour.
While the bumbling aviator in this book bears some likeness to his namesake, the real Charles Weatherburn in fact made no attempts to fly solo of which we are aware. He did, however, make significant contributions to the fields of vector analysis, differential geometry and calculus.
The author would like to thank the Weatherburn family for giving their permission to use his name in this book.
HUNGRY FOR MORE CHARLIE?
GET THIS BOOK IN PRINT Purchase a print copy of this book from charlieweatherburn.com.While you’re there, you can read updates from the author, download apps, colouring sheets, interactive games and more!
KEEP UP TO DATE Get all the latest news and announcements from the author by signing up to the Charlie Weatherburn email newsletter. You can also follow Charlie on Twitter or Facebook—find out more at charlieweatherburn.com.
DID YOU FIND REGINALD? Reginald the talking duck is Charlie’s best friend (he likes numbers even more than Charlie!) He appears on every page. Did you spot him?
