Red Kite, Blue Kite
Written by Ji-li Jiang
Illustrated by Greg Ruth
Disney-Hyperion Books, 2013
32 pages
Historical Fiction
Red Kite, Blue Kite takes
place during the Chinese Revolution, making it a great choice for a historical fiction
book. In this story, Tai Shan and his
father (Baba) love flying kites from the roof of their house, with Tai Shan
flying a red kite and Baba flying a blue kite.
However, they are separated when Baba is forced to go to a labor camp. Tai Shan stays with a farmer in a town close
to his father, and they get to visit every Sunday. Baba’s visits become less frequent, but they
still communicate by flying their kites.
Tai Shan flies his red kite every morning, and Baba flies his blue kite
every day at sunset; this is their secret signal. One morning, Baba comes to Tai Shan and tells
him and the farmer that he will not be able to fly his blue kite anymore
because he is being sent to another labor camp farther away. He asks Tai Shan to fly his blue kite for him
as a reminder that they are thinking of one another. Will Tai Shan and Baba ever see each other
again? Will they ever be able to freely
fly their kites together again? Read Red
Kite, Blue Kite by Ji-li Jiang to find out!
Greg Ruth did a wonderful job
illustrating this book. He created his
illustrations using dry-brush ink, and he colored them using watercolors. Ruth used a variety of singles and
doublespreads to display the illustrations throughout the book. These illustrations are very fitting for the
time period this story is written about by accurately showing the attire and
landscape of the time period. They also
capture the emotions evoked through the text.
When the text is sad, the illustrations display a sad scene with dark
colors; when the text is joyful, the illustrations display a happy scene with
bright colors. These illustrations added
a lot to this book, and I really enjoyed looking at them.
This book could be used in any
classroom ranging from third through sixth grade, and I believe it would be
best used as a teacher read aloud. It
could be used on a compare and contrast lesson.
After the teacher reads the book, the students could compare and
contrast Tai Shan and Baba, showing their similarities and differences. This book could also be used to initiate a
writing activity. The students could
write a journal entry from the perspective of either Tai Shan or Baba showing
what they might be thinking or feeling while they are separated. Furthermore, this book could also be used to
supplement a lesson about the Chinese Revolution. These are just a few ways this book could be
used in the classroom, and it would be a great addition to any teacher’s
collection.
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