Ji-li Jiang

Set during the Cultural Revolution in China, a heartwarming tale of a father and son whose love never stops soaring.

Tai Shan and his father, Baba, like to climb to the tippy-top of their roof and fly kites. The two kites—one red and one blue—rise and dive through the sky together. But one day, Baba is taken away to a labor camp, and Tai Shan must stay with a woman called Granny Wang, who is not his grandmother but is kind to him. A thick forest and many miles stand between father and son. Luckily, Baba devises a secret way for them to talk: Every morning, Tai Shan flies his red kite on the hill, and every evening Baba flies his blue one. The kites wave in the wind and whisper messages of comfort until the two are reunited. Ruth’s muted primary palette of dusty tans and browns are a stark contrast to the few carefully placed flashes of color. The Red Guards’ armbands blaze angrily, yet the two kites soaring in the sky and the bright orange leaves on the trees are spots of hope.

Though this is told against the backdrop of a dark part of Chinese history, any child coping with separation from a loved one may find comfort in this story. (author's note) (Picture book. 5-8)

-Kirkus Review… (mais)

Ji-li Jiang turned twelve in 1966, the year The Cultural Revolution began. She was an excellent student and lived with her parents, two siblings, and grandmother in one room in Shanghai. At first, she joyfully embraces the new revolutionary mandates and dreams of becoming a Red Guard. When Chairman Mao instructs the country to sweep out the Fourolds (old ideas, old culture, old customs, and old habits), she joins in readily. When this is followed by sweeping educational reforms, and she has to denounce her teachers, she becomes uncertain. Then her family is attacked, and she must make even tougher decisions about whether to be loyal to family, tainted by a landowning grandfather who died when her father was seven, or remain an "educable" child.

The author grew up in Shanghai, but moved to the United States when she was thirty. She wrote this book in the hopes of helping Americans understand China a bit more. Because the audience is for middle school or high school students, the book is written simply, but it remains a powerful story. I was surprised at the extent to which elementary aged students were embroiled in the work of the revolution (writing propaganda or da-zi-bao posters, participating in study groups and struggle sessions, and working on rural farms during the summer). It was interesting seeing Ji-li evolve from being a unquestioning follower as she experiences more of life during the Cultural Revolution. It was also interesting to see traces of her family's Muslim faith appear during times of stress. Her afterward provides updates on the fates of several of her schoolfriends, as well as her family, after the book ends in 1968. There is a helpful glossary as well.… (mais)