Blue Sky, Yellow Kite

Blue Sky, Yellow Kite written by Janet A. Holmes, illustrated by Jonathan Bentley (Little Hare Books) HB RRP $24.99

ISBN 9781760124229

Reviewed by Liz Ledden

Daisy spots a yellow kite dancing in the sky. She ventures over a hill to discover it belongs to a boy called William. The two meet, and William teaches Daisy how to fly his kite. Daisy runs and runs with it, and ‘She does not look back once’.

This beautifully illustrated picture book contains an intriguing premise of taking something that’s not yours, and the emotional fallout. The reader is taken on a journey from the depths of Daisy’s despair to joy in the final scene. Friendship, forgiveness and owning up to your mistakes are all cleverly conveyed. Scenes portraying Daisy’s guilty feelings are suitably darker in colour, and then brighten as she attempts to convey her remorse to William.

The story has quite a unique feel – taking something that’s not yours (whether accidental or not) is a childhood experience I’ve not often seen touched upon in picture books.

As a bonus, Blue Sky, Yellow Kite contains a colour print of one of Bentley’s beautiful scenes of Daisy and the kite, wild in the wind.