Emotional, moving, deep and uplifting. Like the authors other book 'The Mozart Question', this is also a story within a story within a story. Written in two styles, that of the diary of a journalist film maker and that of the voice of a Palestinian boy, the version I read is illustrated thoughtfully. Juxtaposing peace and war, unity and division, fear and hope, foe and friend, nightmares and dreams, danger and safety, wrong and right, anger and regret, abilities, disabilities and death, a story for everyone on all sides of the security wall in the middle east to help break it down. Make friends, fly kites and be good, beware guns and barriers to friendship. I read this story over three nights to my untraumatised seven and five year old children. After each reading we talked about the story and they slept well. ( )

Touchingly beautiful

After a slightly shaky start, this book became a touchingly beautiful appeal for peace. I shed a tear at the end - always a sign that a book has moved me.

The book tells of Max, a journalist, who travels to Palestine to present a balanced view of the personal problems experienced by people living on both sides of the wall. By chance he meets up with Said, a young kite maker and shepherd. He is welcomed into Said's home and learns the family's sad story.
When Said flies his kites Max discovers another side to the tragedy.

The beginning of the book was a litle confusing and might pose problems for younger readers and I wasn't impressed with the illustrations, but overall I was so moved by the story that I felt it earned the full 5*.

A great author. ( )