Reviews
School Library Journal
starred review
Los Angeles County Board of Education
"With
ease and grace,
Park brings these long-ago
children
to life." *
School Library Journal, June 2000,
starred review. When Young-sup holds a kite in his hand, he
knows exactly how to make it fly. His older brother, Kee-sup,
struggles to launch his kite, but he knows exactly how to
construct one that is beautiful in form and perfectlybalanced.
One day, the young King of Korea suddenly arrives with all
of his attendants on the hillside where the brothers are playing
with their matching tiger kites. He requests their help in
learning to fly one, and then asks Kee-sup to make a kite
for him. The boy is deeply honored and works diligently on
it, a dragon flecked with real gold paint. Meanwhile, Young-sup
is determined to win the kite-fighting competition at the
New Year's festival. He practices on the hillside where the
king frequently joins him, and their growing friendship leads
to an interesting collaboration and a thorny challenge to
tradition in Korean in 1473. The final contest, in which Young-sup
flies for the king, is riveting. Though the story is set in
medieval times, the brothers have many of the same issues
facing siblings today. They play and argue, they compete for
their father's attention, and eventually develop a greater
understanding of one another. The author has drawn her characters
with a sure touch, creating two very different boys struggling
to figure out who they are. With ease and grace, Park brings
these long-ago children to life.*
Kirkus
Kite-making and -flying strengthens the bond between two brothers
and earns them a royal friend to boot, in this perceptive
tale set in 15th-century Korea. The fighter kites that 14-year-old
Kee-sup builds and decorates are splendid, but it's his younger
brother Young-sup who has the innate gift for flying them.
Nonetheless, when the boy king himself asks Kee-sup to create
a special kite and Young-sup to fly it in the upcoming New
Year's kite competition, their father, to Young-sup's outrage,
decides that it's Kee-sup's place as first-born to be the
flier, despite his lack of aptitude. Park (Seesaw Girl, 1999)
tucks traditional Korean customs and values into the story
at every turn, while giving each of her young characters a
distinct, complementary set of abilities and inclinations;
it is only because everyone from the king on down helps, directly
or indirectly, that Young-sup is, in the end, allowed to fly
the kite. His victory comes as no foregone conclusion either,
but only after a series of hard-fought rounds. Readers will
enjoy watching these engaging characters find ways of overcoming
webs of social and cultural constraints to achieve a common
goal, and the author expresses the pleasures of creating and
flying kites--"A few sticks, a little paper, some string.
And the wind. Kite magic"--with contagious enthusiasm.
Horn
Book, May/June 2000.
The time is 1473; the setting is Seoul, Korea, a land where
tradition and family honor are a dominant force. According
to the appended author's note, the boy-king, who is a catalytic
character, is based on an actual historical figure. However,
this is less a historical novel than a family story set in
the past, with references to period-setting social customs.
The younger of two sons chafes against the restrictions of
his position and longs to be the dominant figure. While tradition
mandates otherwise, he does achieve part of his goal by exercising
his talents for kite fighting in a major competition, and
he also comes to understand that his older brother is suffering
under the demands of his seemingly favored position. Their
success in the competition is due in part to their secret
friendship with the young king, who sees them flying kites
on a hill near the palace and who requests that the elder
son, a gifted artist, make him a kite fit for a monarch. After
much discussion, that is the kite the younger son flies in
competition. The information on kite-making and -flying is
comprehensive but not weighty; the contest is deftly described
to hold interest; and the details of family life add verisimilitude.
Children's
Literature newsletter, June 2000.
For many of us the thrill of flying a kite is magical and
inspirational. It was so for two young brothers living in
Seoul, Korea in 1473. As the oldest boy, Kee-sup has the responsibility
of keeping the family name and honor. He also seems to get
special treatment and presents, so younger brother Young-sup
feels envious from time to time. Although Kee-sup receives
a kite for his New Year celebration, it is his brother who
instinctively knows the techniques of flying. Kee-sup has
little ability, but has magic fingers and later creates his
own beautiful tiger kite. The young king sees it and wants
one of his own, so a special dragon kite, flecked with gold
leaf is fashioned for the ruler. On the following New Year
the boy king realizes that he can not compete in the kite
competition as no one will really try to beat him, so he asks
Young-sup to fly the dragon kite. Family tensions rise as
Father feels the first born son should have the privilege,
but the brothers realize they need to combine their talents.
Young-su becomes the competitor and needs to use all his skills
and his brother's technical know-how. The goal is to try to
cut the other kites free while remaining in a special circle.
The story is engaging and offers insight into Korean culture
and historical information about the kite fighting competitions.ecommended reading list