Francisco's Kites / Las Cometas de Francisco (English and Spanish Edition) - Hardcover

Klepeis, Alicia

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1558858040 ISBN 13: 9781558858046

Publisher: Arte Publico Press, 2015

Synopsis

Francisco looks out his bedroom window and thinks about his home back in El Salvador. He misses his friends and playing in the village s park. He wants to fly a kite near his new home in the U.S., but his mother can't afford one.

"If Mama can't buy me a kite, maybe I can make one," he thinks. Picking up a bag, Francisco leaves the apartment in search of treasures that he can use for his project. He finds purple cellophane, a pile of string and a broken model airplane. In his apartment building s recycling area, Francisco discovers other useful items that people have thrown away. He can t wait to spread out all the goodies and start building his very own cometa!
Soon Francisco is testing his creation in Sunnydale Park. He makes it fly up and down, spin in the air and even make loops! The colorful toy catches the attention of a man who runs a recycled goods store. He wants to sell Francisco s kites in his shop! But can Francisco really find enough material to make them? And will he be able to deliver them in time?
In this charming bilingual picture book for children ages 4 to 8, a young boy uses his ingenuity to build unique kites that will have readers dreaming of building their own fabulous fliers!

About this title

About the Author:

Alicia Z. Klepeis is a freelance writer who began her career at the National Geographic Society. A former geography teacher, she is the author of Africa (ABDO Publishing, 2013), Understanding Turkey Today (Mitchell Lane Publishers, 2014) and The World s Strangest Foods (Raintree, 2015). Klepeis lives with her family in upstate New York.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 2–4—Salvadoran immigrant Francisco misses his hometown where he used to fly kites with all his friends. After moving to Chicago, neither he nor his mom can afford to buy a kite. Francisco scours his neighborhood for usable junk, and before long he collects enough material to make a kite. A gentleman from church is so impressed by Francsico's resourcefulness that he commissions 20 more recycled masterpieces at four dollars apiece. His new enterprise gives Francisco the confidence to start a kite-flying club at school and make new friends. Undercuffler's colorful and distinct illustrations will entice children to try designing and building their own kites. This bilingual story's emphasis isn't on the hardships new immigrants face but rather on a young boy using his love of kites as a coping device in an unfamiliar environment. VERDICT Pairing this engaging title with nonfiction selections, such as Norman Schmidt's Best Ever Paper Kites (Sterling, 2003), will enhance classroom and/or parent/child experiences.—Mary Margaret Mercado, Pima County Public Library, Tucson, AZ

About this edition

• Publisher: Arte Publico Press
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1558858040
• ISBN 13: 9781558858046
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Undercuffler Gary