Blue Sky Yellow Kite (Janet A Holmes, illus by Jonathan Bentley, Little Hare)

Friendship can begin in so many different ways. It can be fleeting or it can develop into a long-lasting relationship. And it depends on both parties to make it work. In Blue Sky Yellow Kite, Daisy and William’s friendship begins promisingly, but Daisy makes quite a mischievous wrong move early on. It is William’s generosity of spirit that brings them back together and highlights the importance of understanding and sharing—and that two children flying kites together is much more fun than flying one alone. Jonathan Bentley’s artwork in this delightful book soars from the pages—the landscape dips and weaves across the double-page spreads and the reader can almost feel the wind in their hair and the tug of the kite string on their fingers. The richly coloured illustrations—the lush garden, the ever-present black cat and Daisy’s windswept black hair—were created using pencil and watercolour, combined in Photoshop, and are extremely effective. Together with the simple text, it makes for an appealing and original story for children aged six and up.

Margaret Hamilton is a former children’s book publisher. She is now proprietor of Pinerolo, the Children’s Book Cottage in Blackheath, NSW

Category: Junior newsletter Review list Reviews