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The Kite
Written by Luis Garay
Category: Juvenile Fiction - People & Places
Imprint: Tundra Books
Format: Hardcover
Pub Date: April 2002
Age: 6-9 years
Trim Size: 8 x 10
# of Pages: 32 pages
ISBN: 978-0-88776-503-2 (0-88776-503-3)
CDN Price: $19.99 / US Price: $14.95 |
Young Francisco and his mother are very poor. Francisco rises at dawn to deliver newspapers in the marketplace. One day he sees a kite hanging in one of the crowded stalls, and he knows he has found his heart’s desire. He longs for the beautiful kite that could fly free in the blue sky far above the squalid city in which he lives. It seems that he will have to put off his dream because his mother is expecting a baby, and every penny he earns will soon be needed. But sometimes, through love, dreams do come true.
“A beautiful contradiction exists between the massive, stiff figures caught and frozen in action, and the vibrant flat backgrounds that move the eye across the page…The straightforward telling moves quickly, and is told in language that can easily be read aloud.”
–School Library Journal
“…charmingly presented…The uniquely textured art superbly complements the simple, straightforward storytelling style in this excellent, highly recommended story for school and community library picturebook collections.”
–Children’s Bookwatch
“…a heart-warming, beautifully illustrated story that in words and pictures captures daily life in the barrio…[Garay’s] beautiful illustrations bring the sites and sounds of the barrio to life in a unique and wonderful way.”
–Books
“Garay’s distinctive style draws on the heritage of Latin American art…[giving] his characters a simplicity and a monumentality that honours and dignifies their lives.”
–Children’s Book News
“…this story far surpasses the label of ‘social isues’ literature. It has all the elements of an excellent story – tension, pathos, well-drawn characters, arresting dialogue. Straightforward prose is peppered with poetic images…The themes are universal and timeless, inviting discussion on many levels. Garay’s distinctive paintings glow with vibrant tropical colours… The Kite is highly recommended for libraries, classrooms, and personal book collections.”
–Quill & Quire
“[There is] visual magic [in] this tender and beautiful story…Poignant and beautiful.”
–The Standard
“…a glimpse into a completely different culture…Garay’s full-page paintings are full of vibrant colours that help bring Francisco’s world alive…[this] book could expand a child’s horizon as well as entertain with a good story.”
–Winnipeg Free Press
Luis Garay was born in Granada, Nicaragua, where he studied art. His books, including Pedrito’s Day and The Long Road, illustrate his interest in Latin America, and especially the social issues of the people who live there. Now living in Toronto, he visits Nicaragua at least once a year.
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