Henry and the Kite Dragonwritten by
Bruce Edward Hallillustrated by William Low
Laptime: kindergarten - elementaryStory Circle: kindergarten - elementarySpring weather in the Pacific Northwest is often windy and a perfect time for flying kites. I love to go to the coast and watch the kites fly. Kites depicting butterflies, dragons, birds, fish and creatures created in the imagination of the kite maker color the sky. That is one of the reasons that I was so drawn to the book
Henry and the Kite Dragon. The other reason is the beautiful conflict resolution depicted in the story. A good lesson that prejudices are often based on misunderstanding.
This 1920's story takes place in Chinatown in New York City. Mr. Chin, also called Grandfather, makes beautiful kites that he and the Chinese children fly from the rooftop of his building. Grandfather Chin can make the kites fly as if they were alive but one day the Italian boys from Little Italy started to throw rocks at the kites. Why would they do such a mean thing? Find out how the kids from Chinatown and the kids from Little Italy resolve their differences and bring peace to the sky over their neighborhoods.
This story is inspired by a man named Mr. Chin who lived in Chinatown when the author's father was a little boy. The book won the
Jane Addams Children Book Award in 2005 given by the Jane Addams Peace Association for its depiction of peaceful resolution of conflict. Award winning artist,
William Low gives us beautifully intricate and vibrant illustrations. I particularly enjoyed looking at the faces of the children; each face seemed familiar.
Laptime ActivityGo to the store and buy a kite to fly. I recently saw kites at a dollar type store. Don't forget to buy kite string, too. Keep the frustration level down when you fly your kites by going to a park or an open field where there are no power lines and very few trees to get tangled in. Once you get proficient you may want to invest in more expensive kites or make your own.
Here are some sites that give instructions for making your own kite:
eHow.com How to Make a KiteScratchpad.com - Make your own KiteHow to make a kite out of a plastic bagPractice Conflict Resolution - Is there someone in the family or in your neighborhood with whom your children have had a misunderstanding? Take the lesson learned in the story and discuss what steps that you and your children can take to fix the broken relationship. Then do it.
Story Circle Make kites (see sites above) and fly them on a windy day.
Learn about the history of Kites. Try these sites:
The History of Kites and Kite FlyingNational Kite Month: A History of KitingPractice Conflict Resolution - Reread the confrontation between the children from Chinatown and Little Italy. Ask the children how they would feel if they were the Chinese children and their kites were being destroyed. Discuss how they would feel if they were the Italian children and their pet pigeons were being frightened away. Act out the confrontation in the park with half of the children being the kite flyers and the other half the pigeon owners. Switch roles.
After you are done role playing have the children think of other ways that the children in the story could have solved their differences. Write the ideas down and have the children add illustrations for a classroom book.
Henry and the Kite Dragon is published by Philomel Books a division of Penguin Young Readers Group. You can purchase the book from the Amazon Wondersome StoryTime Store.
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