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PICTURE BOOKS
Carter, Anne Laurel

What the Kite Saw

32 pp. | Groundwood | May, 2021 | Trade ISBN 978-1-77306-243-3 $18.95 | Ebook ISBN 978-1-77306-244-0 $16.95
(2) K-3 Illustrated by Akin Duzakin. This thought-provoking and haunting picture book is set in an unnamed city of gray buildings pushing smoke into a red cloud–lined sky. Soldiers occupy the town, and one day they take the young narrator's father and brother away. A curfew is announced from a loudspeaker: "Anyone out on the street will be shot." The curfew is lifted for one hour each morning, and children gather in the park while armed soldiers patrol. At night, the narrator tries to keep his little sister from crying and longs for his father and brother's return. He wishes that the people in the street could fly away when the gunshots ring out. Then, in the park with his friends, the narrator watches the wind in the trees and gets an idea: he makes a bright yellow kite in the shape of a star and flies it at night, where it soars above the rooftops and is soon joined by other kites. This story of resilience in the face of terror and loss brings to life situations that too many children worldwide are forced to live through, providing an important opportunity for processing the toll of war and political instability on families, communities, and children. The illustrations create a mood of fear with grayscale and shadow, while moments of hope and community are represented in the bright yellow of the kites, an effective visual metaphor. This rich story is an impressive, heart-rending representation of a child's struggle to retain innocence and optimism in the face of brutal forces outside of his control.
Reviewer: Autumn Allen | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

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