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Fly high as your imagination!

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The Story of Kites
Amazing Chinese Inventions

By Ying Chang Compestine
Illustrated by YongSheng Xuan

$15.95, hardcover, 36 Pages,
ISBN: 978-1-59702-122-7, 8.75 wide x 11.25 tall

"Traditional cut-paper art puts the wind in the sails of this charming story, appended with kite-making instructions."
- Publishers Weekly

Enjoy the third adventure in this colorful series of how the Kang brothers discovered some of China's most amazing inventions!

This revised edition includes a new bilingual translation in simplified Chinese.

Ting, Pan, and Kùai are tired of working in the rice fields, protecting the harvest from the birds. They try everything -- they bang pots, blow whistles, and wave their arms. If only they could fly, they'd drive those birds away forever! Then the boys get an idea: if they made wings, they could fly!

Using paper, straw, and feathers, the boys try to launch themselves into the sky from the hilltop above the rice fields. Kersplash! Kerplop! Kersploosh!

What else can the Kang boys come up with to keep those naughty birds away from their rice?

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More praise

"...the playfulness and creativity of the Kang brothers make this... especially appealing"
- School Library Journal

"Compestine's lively, original folktale is filled with action, noise, and humor"
- ALA Booklist

"Traditional papercuts with strong black lines and vividly colored insets are perfectly suited to the kite images...With its folkloric tone, this provides a sense of fun to a China unit or stands on its own as a story about creativity."
- Kirkus Reviews

See more books from this series!

Get the Complete Set!

Order all 4 books and get "practically free" shipping!

Normally shipping is $3.95 per book. But now get a 70% discount off shipping: pay a total of only $4.95 USPS media mail for USA addresses. One book set is $63.80 ($15.95/book x 4 books).

International readers - please note: non-USA addresses need additional postage. Contact us and we'll estimate the appropriate amount for your country. Thank you!

Reviews

"Demi's Kites and Jane Yolen's The Emperor and the Kite both speculate about the origins of kites in China, but the playfulness and creativity of this book makes this version specially appealing. There are no precise records of how or why the kite was invented, yet theories concerning these beautiful objects make for very engaging tales, such as this one."
- Paper Tigers

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Press Release

Leveled Reading

Lexile Level: 710L
Lexile Code: AD "adult directed"
Fountas & Pinnel (F&P GRL): M
GLE (Grade Level): 2
Interest Level: K-5
Reading Recovery Level (RRL): 20