What the Kite Saw

A chilling, child’s-eye perspective on how it feels to live in a land under military occupation. The story tells the achingly poignant story of a boy whose brother and father are missing. In an attempt to distract himself, the boy builds and flies a kite, imagining all the things the kite might bear witness to, happening on the ground beneath it.

Akin Duzakin’s illustrations are dark and foreboding, with shadowy, formal, militaristic images and forlorn characters. There is a sense of hope in the kite, however, which is depicted as a star and released, allowing it to fly free.

A powerful reminder of the grave circumstances in which some children grow up, the author’s note explains that while the story was inspired by Palestinian children, its events could take place anywhere children experience war. There is a fable-like quality to the story which gives it a sense of universality.