Crosby prefers to sit in back of the classroom, never answering or asking questions. At home he keeps old things he finds, rather than use new ones his mama gives him. "What he keeps, mostly, is to himself." Crosby gives every impression he doesn't care about anything. He is a singular child, but not a disturbed one. One day Crosby makes a red kite from scraps and finds it possible to share the wonder of flying it with a younger child who is also playing alone. The boys experience the kind of freedom caused by looking around and opening up--to the wind, to life. "All that afternoon, in all that blue, the red kite hangs like the sky's necktie." An unusual picture story about loneliness, material value, and imagination is filled with vivid colors and strong emotions due in large part to the powerful impact of Green's oil paintings. (Ages 7-11)

A young boy, who likes to collect old and discarded materials, finds the remnants of a kite, repairs it, flies it, and in the process kindles a friendship with another boy.