Dragonfly Kites (Cree-English)

Author: Tomson Highway
Illustrated by: Julie Flett
Paperback: 32 page(s)
Age Range: 7 - 8

Book Description:

Joe and Cody, two young Cree brothers, along with their parents and their little dog Ootsie, are spending the summer by one of the hundreds of lakes in northern Manitoba. Summer means a chance to explore the world and make friends with an array of creatures.

But what Joe and Cody like doing best of all is flying dragonfly kites. They catch dragonflies and gently tie a length of thread around the middle of each dragonfly before letting it go. Off soar the dragonflies into the summer sky and off race the brothers and Ootsie too, chasing after their dragonfly kites through trees and meadows and down to the beach before watching them disappear into the night sky.

But in their dreams, Joe and Cody soar through the skies with their kites until it's time to wake up.

School Library Journal

Joe and Cody are two Cree brothers who live in Northern Manitoba. With their vivid imaginations and isolation from others, they roam the world. While their parents are fishing, they make toys out of sticks and rocks to play with and befriend the terns, loons, eagles, and squirrels they meet. Their favorite creature are the dragonflies. During the day, the boys tie thread around them and turn them into magic kites. At night in their dreams, they run behind their dragonfly kites, bounding up into the sky, into the sunset until morning light. Flett's illustrations are full of color with clear, sharp lines. The dragonflies' wings look like they landed on the page. This charming tale is an engaging look at the universal joys of childhood.