Summary
School Library Journal:
Gr 3-6– Likely to please both armchair enthusiasts and outdoorsy types, this survey offers brief anecdotes and legends along with carefully annotated construction diagrams for 15 simple kites commonly flown in Asia, the continent where the practice originated. Hosking opens with a historical introduction, followed by a discussion of traditional materials and low-cost alternatives, decorating advice, savvy tips for kite construction, troubleshooting, and safe launching techniques. The ensuing models are grouped by country: two each from China, Malaysia, Thailand, and Korea, and seven from Japan. Each entry features a list of supplies, an age recommendation, assembly diagrams in three to five steps, comments about individual flying characteristics, and a photo of a finished (expertly decorated) example laid out on the ground. Closing with notes on running a kite-making workshop for children, lists of associations and sources of supplies, and a relatively extensive bibliography, this title merits, and will find, a wide audience in libraries large or small.–John Peters, New York Public Library –John Peters (Reviewed September 1, 2005) (School Library Journal, vol 51, issue 9, p224)