| Details | | Publication Date: | 1997-06-01 | | Edition Description: | Illustrated |
Publisher's Note
No, it's not raining cats and dogs, but the sky is filled with animals in the form of kites. Now, you too can learn to make and fly these cool kites. Every design is different. Some will soar above the clouds, while others zip and zoom lower to the ground. Here are the instructions needed to build 19 different animal kites--from hawks to butterflies to peacocks to zebras.
Industry Reviews
Schmidt, the master of paper aerodynamics (Super Paper Airplanes: Biplanes to Space Planes, LJ 11/1/95), has expanded his horizons into the realm of monster, bumblebee, bird, and butterfly kites. He uses a spunbonded polyethylene resembling paper that does not tear easily and can be sewn, glued, and colored to make his kites. Each project has a detailed list of materials and a square-grid pattern suitable for enlarging. Detailed general instructions are applicable to all the projects. There is also a chapter on wind dynamics and kite stability necessary reading for anyone willing to trust his or her masterpiece to the mercies of the wind. These kites are truly works of art and would make fantastic mobiles when not flying aloft.
Stefanatos
Gr 6 Up This book's best feature is the collection of designs for 19 kites. All but one are reproductions of birds or insects. Each project is illustrated with a line drawing on a grid that demonstrates how to copy the design onto the kite material, along with a full-page, full-color photograph in which the intense hues and contrasts are highlighted, adding to the stunning results. A page of kite lore is included with each design. Schmidt uses modern materials that are easy to handle and readily available. They have certain advantages over traditional paper and cloth such as greater strength and resistance to stretching. The directions are excellent, proceeding in clear and manageable steps. This is not a book for novices. The introductory material, which includes a history of kiting, is both dense and technical. However, the originality and beauty of the kites and the excellent instructions make it an attractive book that will inspire kite lovers to stretch their skill and interest. A good addition to collections that have Gail Gibbons's Catch the Wind! (Little, Brown, 1989) and Barry Caldecott's Kites (Watts, 1990). Jean Pollock, King Country Library System, Seattle, WA
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