Sprouting Wings: The True Story of James Herman Banning, the First African American Pilot to Fly Across the United StatesPUBLISHER: Crown Books for Young Readers The inspirational and true story of James Herman Banning, the first African American pilot to fly across the country, comes to life in this picture book biography perfect for fans of Hidden Figures and Little Leaders. Includes art from a Coretta Scott King award winning illustrator. James Herman Banning always dreamed of touching the sky. But how could a farm boy from Oklahoma find a plane? And how would he