Rated 4 stars **** Piñata Books (Arte Público Press). 2015.
“Francisco’s Kites” is a bilingual story of a young boy and his mother who moved to the big city of Chicago from a small village in El Salvador. Francisco loves kites but with his mother unable to afford to get him one, Francisco decides to make his own using scraps found on his walks around town. Before long he has created kites of beauty that make him forget his new life in a strange city. One day, while flying one of them, he receives an offer he can’t refuse which changes his life.
Addressing the homesickness felt by children who find themselves in a setting completely different from everything they’d known, “Francisco’s kites” addresses their fears while allowing them to find an escape through creating kites to chase away their blues.
Recommended for ages 6-9.
You Decide: Should I Read it or Not? 