Picture book newcomer te Loo retells a classic Chinese tale about a boy who decides to build the ultimate kite. But when his efforts draw the attention of the emperor, it’s for all the wrong reasons. In the opening, a framed vignette shows the boy rushing off on his red bicycle, on his way “to Mr. Fo’s shop for paper, sticks, and string.” A double-page spread shows him looking up from the darkened workshop to the light-filled ceiling, where more than a dozen kites are on display. For his part, Mr. Fo issues a warning: “you must paint your kite before you fly it or the emperor of the sky will be angry.” But Ping-Li doesn’t listen. After crafting his kite on the steps of the temple, he rides home with it fluttering from the back of his bicycle. In the park, Ping-Li ties the kite to his knee and lets it fly free as he sleeps. Above him, a dragon-shaped cloud foreshadows the pivotal encounter: the emperor, aboard his dragonship, reaches down and “pluck[s] the kite from the air.” A sinuous ladder unfurls from the cloudy ship and Ping-Li climbs into the sky. There, he sees the finest of kites. “You must make your kite better than all the kites in my ship,” the emperor tells Ping-Li. And Ping-Li does—he paints his kite in the image of the emperor. With spare text and evocative illustration this handsome volume, first published in the Netherlands, will find an easy fit on the multicultural bookshelf. (Folktale. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 2002
ISBN: 1-886910-75-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2002
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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