Eastern Utah Libraries Catalog: Duchesne, Heber, Roosevelt, & Vernal

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Bittersweet : based on the true tale of the Berlin Candy Bombers / Christy Mandin.

By: Material type: TextPublisher: New York : Margaret K. McElderry Books, [2025]Edition: First editionDescription: 1 volume (umnpaged) : color illustrations ; 29 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9781665960588 :
  • 1665960582 :
Subject(s): DDC classification:
  • 943/.155 23
LOC classification:
  • DD881 .M36 2025
Summary: How far can a small kindness reach? How much of a difference can two sticks of gum make? Colonel Gail Halvorsen was a pilot in the United States Air Force delivering supplies to West Berlin when it was blockaded by the Soviets. One day he approached children gathered outside the airport with two leftover sticks of gum. One day, he approached children gathered outside the airport with two leftover sticks of gum. After sharing the gum through the fence, he watched in surprise as they passed the wrappers around so everyone could sniff the minty smell. Inspired by the children's kindness and sympathetic to the way blockades were cutting off their access to simple pleasures like sweets, Halvorsen began airdropping candy, using his own rations and wiggling his wings to alert the kids below that it was time for treats. When a package of chocolates literally dropped on a reporter's head, news quickly spread of "Uncle Wiggly Wings" or "the Berlin Candy Bomber." Soon, Halvorsen's Operation Little Vittles-born of one man's courage to be kind-grew to include other pilots and donations from American families and ended up dropping over twenty tons of candy to the children of war-torn Berlin.
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Holdings
Cover image Item type Current library Home library Collection Shelving location Call number Materials specified Vol info URL Copy number Status Notes Date due Barcode Item holds Item hold queue priority Course reserves
BOOK Wasatch County Library Main Floor Childrens Area Children NonFiction E Biography Halvorsen (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Checked out 04/24/2026 34301002172825
Total holds: 0

Includes bibliographical references.

How far can a small kindness reach? How much of a difference can two sticks of gum make? Colonel Gail Halvorsen was a pilot in the United States Air Force delivering supplies to West Berlin when it was blockaded by the Soviets. One day he approached children gathered outside the airport with two leftover sticks of gum. One day, he approached children gathered outside the airport with two leftover sticks of gum. After sharing the gum through the fence, he watched in surprise as they passed the wrappers around so everyone could sniff the minty smell. Inspired by the children's kindness and sympathetic to the way blockades were cutting off their access to simple pleasures like sweets, Halvorsen began airdropping candy, using his own rations and wiggling his wings to alert the kids below that it was time for treats. When a package of chocolates literally dropped on a reporter's head, news quickly spread of "Uncle Wiggly Wings" or "the Berlin Candy Bomber." Soon, Halvorsen's Operation Little Vittles-born of one man's courage to be kind-grew to include other pilots and donations from American families and ended up dropping over twenty tons of candy to the children of war-torn Berlin.

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This project was made possible through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Service administered by the Utah State Library Division.

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