2018 School Spending Survey Report
King for a Day
illus. by Christiane Krömer. 32p. glossary. Lee & Low. 2013. RTE $17.95. ISBN 9781600606595. LC 2013007506.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2—Spring has arrived in Lahore, Pakistan, and the celebration of Basant ushers it in with an annual kite-flying contest. Young Malik plans to win the self-proclaimed title of "king of Basant" by capturing and/or setting free more kites than anyone else. He puts all his faith in his small handmade kite, Falcon, and enters the competition. Thus ensues the story of how Malik, who, incidentally, is in a wheelchair, sits on his balcony and, with assistance from his sister and brother, wins the coveted designation and defeats the bully next door. Mixed-media collage illustrations consist of an intriguing combination of cut paper, floss, yarn, cloth, and pencil sketches. Varying perspectives include ground level, balcony level, and kite's-eye views of the action. The breezy conditions are evident in the soaring kites, billowing curtains, and Malik's sister's clothing. An author's note gives a historical view of the spring festival and its traditions in the ancient city.—Maryann H. Owen, Children's Literature Specialist, Mt. Pleasant, WIAction-filled collages of traditional fabrics, textured paper, yarn, and more display intricate sky- and cityscapes of Lahore, Pakistan, during Basant, the spring kite festival. Malik, skillfully using his handmade small kite to conquer the bully next door in the kite battle, is a real hero; that he uses a wheelchair is incidental to the story. Useful contextual information is appended.
An exuberant celebration of the Pakistani spring festival of Basant and its tradition of rooftop competitive kite flying. Christiane Kromer’s collage illustrations capture the holiday’s energy. In one spread, for example, a silhouette of the city’s skyline wraps around the pages like stadium seating at a sports arena; colorful kites—pieced together from bits of paper, cloth, and string—soar into battle against the backdrop of the cobalt sky. While the artwork shows Malik in a wheelchair, the text never draws attention to it. It’s left to readers to imagine what Malik feels as he moves his kite nimbly through the air—circling, then defeating “Goliath,” the oversized kite of the bully next door who torments Malik and his sister. The back matter explains the holiday’s origins and history, and helpfully elucidates the technical aspects of competitive kite flying: “Traditionally, kite strings were coated with powdered glass so they would be sharp enough to cut through other kite strings.”
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LOG IN
We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LOG IN
Thank you for visiting.
We’ve noticed you are using a private browser. To continue, please log in or create an account.
Be the first reader to comment.
Comment Policy:
Comment should not be empty !!!