What The Kite Saw by Anne Laurel Carter

What The Kite Saw is a short picture book that tells the story of how a little boy copes when war comes to his town.

When the tanks rolled into his town, the soldiers took the little boy's father and brother. A curfew was put in place and people were warned they would be shot if they were out on the streets.

That night the little boy cannot stop staring at the empty places where his father and brother would have been sitting. His little sister couldn't stop crying. Both the little boy and his sister slept in their mother's bed.

The next day, when the curfew was lifted, the little boy and his sister played in the park while their mother shopped. Nights passed while the little boy hoped to see his father and brother come home. He drew pictures and told stories. When he saw spotlights on the buildings and heard gunshots and shouts, he imagined people grew wings to escape to safety.

The next during curfew, the little boy had an idea which he shared with his friends. That idea was to make and fly kites. He imagined what those kites might see as they flew over his city.

Discussion

Anne Laurel Carter, in her short Author's Note indicates that this story was inspired by Palestinian children but that it could apply to any child who has experienced war. The beauty and strength of this picture book is not so much the simple story, but the exquisite illustrations that accompany the story. Illustrator Akin Duzakin, who is from Turkey but living now in Oslo, Norway,  has captured a wide range of emotions children might experience in a war zone. Duzakin's illustrations, rendered in soft pastel, with detailing done in crayons and watercolour, offer a haunting portrayal of the terror of war. There is fear, anguish, and worry on the face of the mother, and sadness of faces of the children. Duzakin's earthy, dark palette is accented with reds, yellows and orange, representing the violence of war.

What The Kite Saw is a helpful picture book to introduce the concept of war and how it can affect children, their families and their communities.

Book Details:

What The Kite Saw by Anne Laurel Carter
Toronto: Groundwood Books     2021