After his father is sent to a labor camp, a little boy stays connected to him through their shared love of kite-flying. First Baba is able to visit once a week and they fly kites together. Then, when Baba explains he will no longer be able to visit, he tells the boy to fly his red kite each morning, and he will fly his blue kite each evening. "Every day Baba and I 'talk' with our kites. My red kite soars and dips, shouting over the thick forest, 'How are you, Baba? I miss you.' Baba's blue kite swirls and circles, replying, 'I miss you too, little Tai Shan.'" Ji-Li Jiangs' emotionally taut story set during the Cultural Revolution in China captures a small child's sense of fear and loneliness, and his father's determination to let him know how much he loves him. Jiang uses beautiful language to tell a hard but happily ending tale. Greg Ruth's images show the increased hardship faced by the boy's father, but also the love that surrounds the child. An author's note provides background on the Cultural Revolution that sets the stage for this story inspired by the childhood experience of her friend. (Ages 5-8)

When Tai Shan and his father, Baba, fly kites from their roof and look down at the crowded city streets below, they feel free, like the kites. Baba loves telling Tai Shan stories while the kites--one red, and one blue--rise, dip, and soar together. Then, a bad time comes. People wearing red armbands shut down the schools, smash store signs, and search houses. Baba is sent away, and Tai Shan goes to live with Granny Wang. Though father and son are far apart, they have a secret way of staying close. Every day they greet each other by flying their kites???one red, and one blue???until Baba can be free again, like the kites. Inspired by the dark time of the Cultural Revolution in China, this is a soaring tale of hope that will resonate with anyone who has ever had to love from a distance.