Let’s Go Fly A….Book?

There is something magnificently liberating about a kite. Despite the fact it only works when properly tethered, still, it is a symbol for flight, lift and freedom.

While we don’t do it very often, we’ve had lots of fun flying kites over the years. It’s a toy that can suit many ages – with a little help, even young children can hold onto the end of the string and enjoy the thrill of feeling a kite fly. Bert from Mary Poppins might have us all making our own out of paper and string, but surely the modern ones are just as fun and much more stable.

Kites are often included in children’s picture books, but sometimes it can be tough to tell from the front cover if a kite will feature. So below I’ve suggested some picture books that will pair nicely with a kite to make a great gift.

Stuck, by Oliver Jeffers

One of the first books I reviewed on my blog, this is still a firm favourite of mine. Floyd gets his kite stuck in a tree, and begins looking for ways to get it down. His method of choice is to throw things at the kite to try to knock it out of the tree. When it hasn’t worked after a few tries he proceeds to throw bigger and bigger things, each of which gets stuck in the tree. I’m sure this story is part allegory for how we try to solve problems in the same way and just end up stuck, but kids won’t think about that, they’ll laugh out loud at Floyd’s antics.

Blown Away, by Rob Biddulph

This is Rob Biddulph’s debut picture book and it is a cracker. Aimed at a younger audience, the rhyming and rhythm are simple and refined, exactly what the 3-7-year-old age range loves. The idea of putting arctic and antarctic animals in a jungle setting is very funny (ignoring that they would have to come from opposite directions). I adore Rob’s illustration style, it’s comical, emotive, and action-packed. Just like Stuck, a kite is what kicks this delightful story off.