Dragonfly Kites

First published in 2016, this second volume of Tomson Highway's Magical Songs of the North moves into paper.A bilingual English/Cree picture book
"Living with their parents in a tent on the shores of Manitoba's northern lakes, the First Nation brothers, Joe and Cody, have little human company, but they are far from alone.
There's Ootsie, the little dog who was almost a person, and the sticks and rocks they name and play with. The boys make temporary pets of wildlife too: Arctic tern, loon, and eagle chicks, along with the squirrels and the rabbits and the chipmunks that ate from their hands; each creature is carefully named, sometimes with an English name and sometimes with a Cree one. Highway's text is spare and declarative, carefully isolating child-friendly details that brim with gentle humor. Flett's equally spare signature style is a perfect match, placing black-haired, brown-skinned boys in shorts and Chucks against dark green grass and chilly looking blue water. The titular kites are the boys' favourite pets: dragonflies with long pieces of thread tied gently around the middle of each. They run along with the dragonflies before letting them go over the lake…..At once a celebration of heritage, the wilderness and imagination, this book is a breath of fresh northern air" (Kirkus)

"This charming tale is an engaging look at the universal joys of childhood. Recommended."
- School Library Journal

"Flett's (illustrations) are pellucid, her colours clear, her lines clean and precise. The stillness of the northern lake is marked by a few faint ripples; the dragonflies are made extraordinary by the delicate tracery of their wings, luminous against a clear sky. The magic of summer, the wilderness, and northern stillness is right here. Highly recommended."
- Toronto Star

"At once a celebration of heritage, the wilderness, and imagination, this book is a breath of fresh northern air."
- Kirkus Reviews

"I am thrilled that Fifth House is giving us Dragonfly Kites this year. The illustrator is one of my favorite artists: Julie Flett. . . Dragonfly Kites will be at the top of my lists this year!
- American Indians in Children's Literature

"From Tomson Highway's reminiscent text and Julie Flett's creative and evocative illustrations, Dragonfly Kites takes readers to a simpler time and one deep in traditions."
- CanLit for LittleCanadians

"Unlike most fiction, Dragonfly Kites does not follow a standard plot line. Like the dragonfly kites that the boys follow, the plot simply glides along until the boys wake up from their dream. This is appropriate due to the significance the illustrations play in this picture book, as well as the age of the intended audience. Readers are not overwhelmed by the storyline and are free to appreciate the accompanying illustrations.
"The illustrations in Dragonfly Kites act as an extension of the story. The pictures in the book are colourful, beautiful, and have an austere, stark quality. This is consistent with other works produced by award-winning illustrator Julie Flett. This style suits the story as, aside from the nature that surrounds around them, Joe and Cody are depicted as being by themselves. While they live with the parents, their adventures occur when their parents are fishing without them. The full-page illustrations demonstrate the vast space that surrounds the boys.
Recommended. "
- CM Magazine

Tomson Highway,
award-winning playwright and the author of Caribou Song and Fox on the Ice. He now splits his time between homes near Sudbury, Ontario and Gatineau, Québec.

Julie Flett
is an award-winning author, illustrator and artist currently living in Vancouver, BC. She is Cree-Métis. Julie is the first-time recipient of the 2014 Aboriginal Literature Award, sponsored by the Periodical Marketers of Canada.