The Boy, the Kite, and the Wind
by Al Andrews. Illustrated by Jonathan Bouw.
This simple tale of a boy and his kite reveals a profound truth for all generations – There is always more to the story.
Many years ago, author Al Andrews was taking a morning walk in a local park. Not far into his walk, he came across a kite in a tree. The sight brought back memories of all the times he took his two boys on kite flying expeditions. He also remembered that most of those times ended badly.
As he continued on his walk, he started thinking about the kite and the child who flew it and how his day ended badly. Some questions came to his mind, “Why do we do this? Why do we buy kids kites when it often goes so badly. Why not take them to the zoo or something where there is guaranteed success?”
Later that morning, in an attempt to answer that question, he wrote a poem. A few years later, that poem became a children’s picture book.
Watch the students at Restore Academy in Gulu, Uganda read
The Boy, the Kite, and the Wind.
About the Author
Al Andrews lives in Franklin, Tennessee with his wife Nita and their sons Hunter and Brent. He grew up in Montreat, North Carolina and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
He is the director of Porter’s Call, a non-profit that comes alongside recording artists with counsel, support and encouragement.
When his boys were young, Al took them on many kite flying expeditions which were always great fun. However, they never came home with their kites, which instead ended up in trees, crumpled on the ground, or somewhere in the airspace over Guatemala. Ever hopeful, he plans to fly them one day with his grandchildren.
This is his first children’s book.
About the Illustrator
Jonathan Bouw lives in Muncie, Indiana with his wife and three children. Prior to his current home, he lived in the Republic of the Philippines, Malaysia, New York, and the state of Idaho. He studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.
Jonathan is a professional illustrator and is currently the Chair of the Art Department at Taylor University, in Upland, Indiana.
When he was a boy, he made and flew kites made of plastic bags and coconut tree fronds. Besides making kites, he loved to draw dinosaurs, make airplanes, create rubber band weapons, shoot bamboo canons, and climb mango trees, all of which he still enjoys, though not as frequently.
jonathan@bouwhouws.com | www.bouwhouws.com