Moonlight Kite

by Helen E. Buckley, Elise Primavera (Illustrations)

Illustrated in glowing paintings that seem lit by the moon itself, this magical tale of a kite--flown during the day by children, and mysteriously flown again by moonlight--will speak to the spirit of the child in everyone.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1997

About the author

aka Helen Elizabeth Buckley

Helen E. Buckley was a preschool and elementary school teacher, and taught in the SUNY Oswego Education and English departments. She was an adjunct professor of the Syracuse University Continuing Education Dept.

Helen Buckley was born in Syracuse, New York in 1918. She received her B.S. (1945) and her M.S. (1949) from Syracuse University, and her Ed.D. from Columbia University (1962). She began her career as an elementary school teacher (1942-1949), was a campus school teacher at State University at Oswego, Oswego, New York (1949-1961) and professor of English at SUNY, Oswego (1961-1976). Buckley published a number of books for children over her 30 year career.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a charming original fable; I've never read anything like it before. Interestingly, my edition has a plain orange-juice colored cover - no title text, and the yellow kite is almost hidden in the wash of yellow. In fact, only now, upon my third examination, do I see other details. One is made to wonder... why the title Moonlight Kite if the cover looks like sunshine? Open and find out....

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three monks are inspired by two children who bring kites to fly at the monastery. They revisit their own childhoods as they play with the kites under the glow of the moonlight. When the children return to the monastery they wonder if there are monks dwelling inside and if they had fun with their kite. The next day they find two kites where before there was only one, answering their question.

Illustrations are vibrant and excel at making the night scenes just as magical as those that take place during the day.

[Linda Lipko · Rating 3 out of 5]

High on a hill is an old monastery. Inhabited by only a few monks, locals wonder if anyone lives there. Children who build a bright orange kite, dare to travel up to the monastery to fly their kite.

Flying the kite all day, they yank the kite to swiftly and it becomes entwined in the high branches. Seeing the kite from their lonely monastery window, the monks devise a way to save the kite.

Flying the kite elicits childhood memories. They decide to build a blue kite in the hope the children will return. Soon, the sky is filled with many colored kites and peals of laughter.

[Kasmarine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The three monks took the vow of silent. Day after day, they work and pray. Then, one day a brother and sister left their kite on the tree near the monastery. Things happened to their kite. Who did it? Read and predict. What is the mystery?

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

You're never too old or young or anything to go fly a kite.

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

very cute about monks who like children near the monastery and perhaps need to have a little fun of their own.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last three monks at a monastery have their lives enriched by the presence of children flying kites outside their walls.

[Janelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun story about the joy of flying a kite, for young and old. The illustrations are lovely.