The Story of Kites — Ying Chang Compestine

" Learn how the three fun-loving Kang brothers created kites, one of China''s most famous inventions! This colorfully redesigned edition features a new bilingual Chinese translation. The three playful and creative Kang brothers (Ting, Pan, and Kuai) discovered four of China''s most famous discoveries in the series Amazing Chinese Inventions. The brothers need to protect the rice harvest from the birds. Nothing works! Then the boys get an idea: if they made wings, they could fly drive the birds from their rice fields! Using paper, straw, and feathers, the boys experiment with flying many different things, including themselves! What else can they create which will get the job done and be fun to fly at the same time? The story features an author''s note on the history of kites and instructions for making your own kite. This fanciful blend of fact and imagination brings Asian culture alive for young readers. Children will enjoy the bright and bold artwork, created in the traditional Chinese style of hand cut, colored paper. Parents will enjoy the ingenuity of the main characters who teach adults a thing or two about inventiveness. Teachers and librarians like the storybook''s historical references and how it features a bilingual translation in simplified Chinese - ideal for language classes, programs, and schools. Written to appeal to children in primary grades, the exciting story of the invention of kites is told in both English and Chinese/Mandarin narratives, with exciting, vibrant woodcut-style illustrations and brilliant primary colors."" - Midwest Book Review """