Blair Braverman's 'The Day Leap Soared' Brings Sled Dog Magic to Kids

I’ve had the pleasure of editing Blair’s column—and much of her other work for Outside—for many years. Over that time, we’ve gotten to know each other well, and she’s become a common name in my household. She sent cozy slippers to my son when he was born (we still have them and are waiting for my new baby to grow into them); my stepdaughter reads her books and articles religiously; I often describe Blair’s wild wellness experiments to my husband over dinner; and Blair and I text regularly about our adventures in motherhood.

But one thing Blair might not know is that ten years ago, not too long after I started working for Outside, I read her first book, Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube. It’s a coming-of-age memoir about learning to survive and thrive in the harsh North, and it became one of my favorite books. At the time, I was going on mini climbing trips every weekend, sleeping out of my tent and eventually the back of my Tacoma, following adventure wherever I could. In that memoir, which focused heavily on dogsledding and remote environments, I saw in Blair a kindred spirit, someone who was also chasing her own thrills and discovering herself along the way.

As I read an early version of her new children’s book, The Day Leap Soared, to my three-year-old and six-month-old nearly a decade later, I imagined Blair reading the same words, pausing on the same pictures, with her two kids. I felt that old flash of recognition: here we were, Blair and I, once again traveling parallel paths through similar life stages.

Ahead of the release of The Day Leap Soared, which goes on sale on October 21, 2025, I interviewed Blair about what inspired her new book and what she hopes readers will take away from it.

‘The Day Leap Soared’

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OUTSIDE: You’ve written books in the past, but this is your first children’s book. You are also a mom now! Did motherhood inspire you to write The Day Leap Soared? 

Blair Braverman: I started working on The Day Leap Soared before I had kids, but the timing has been perfect, because it’s coming out just as my one-year-old twins are starting to get excited about reading. They recognize the dogs in the book. When I read certain pages, they throw back their heads and howl ah-woo. 

Your new book is inspired by your real-life sled dog Leap. Can you share more about her in real life and how she inspired this story?

BB: Most of my sled dogs grew up with their littermates, but Leap was unique because I raised her as a single puppy. (She was born at a friend’s kennel; we adopted her because her mom, Ebony, had been on my Iditarod team.)So instead of growing up with a pack of wild siblings, she was basically raised collectively by all the adult dogs on my team.

As a pup, she was big-hearted, irreverent, slightly feral—and desperate to join her friends on their runs in the woods, though she was too young to join in. She’d wail every time we left without her. When she was finally old enough to run, it felt like the biggest deal ever; she was jumping so much that I could barely get the harness on. When I wanted to write a kids’ book about a sled dog puppy, I chose Leap as the star because of her solo puppyhood. Like every kid, in their own way, she was starting a journey that she had to figure out on her own.

As a seasoned dogsledder, how did your experiences influence the themes and details in the book?

BB: I’ve been a dogsledder for 19 years now, and one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that no one trait makes a great sled dog. Athleticism, friendliness, courage, a good appetite—these things are all important, yes. But it’s the dogs’ individual skills, their uniqueness, that make magic happen. My girl Jenga’s a great sled dog because she’s an intellectual and can think her way through a challenge. Colbert’s fantastic because he eats everything, so he keeps his strength up. Willow loves breaking trail through storms. Refried sings, which helps with the team’s morale. Teamwork is about combining our differences, not erasing them, and I wanted to tell a story that would help kids feel proud of the things that make them unique.

Leap’s journey is about finding her unique place on the team. How do you hope this story encourages children to embrace their own strengths and contributions?

BB: I hope Leap’s story helps them recognize that the things they’re passionate about—singing, drawing, climbing, building with Legos, anything that makes them excited—are gifts to be proud of. Not just for them, but for their family and their community, too. And on a secondary note, I hope it gets them excited to pet dogs and go outside in the woods!

Can you tell us about any memorable moments or adventures with Leap IRL that didn’t make it into the book?

BB: Leap has an uncanny ability to find bones and carcasses anywhere and then parade them in front of her friends. I’ve seen her excavate and haul around bear heads that are practically her size. That detail felt a little too gruesome to put in the book, but it’s definitely a skill she cultivates.

How did Leap get her name?

BB: Her full name is Lambeau Leap, in honor of the Green Bay Packers. She has completely lived up to her name; it’s uncanny. She almost never has all four paws on the ground!