Flying High

This book tells the story of “I” who likes to fly kites and longs to fly kites with other children， but because “I” am short， “I” am discriminated against and excluded by my peers. Later， in the embrace of nature， “I” was healed and reconciled with myself. “I” picked up what “I” love again， flying kites，" building up self-confidence and gaining recognition and friendship from others. The background of this story is set in Weifang， the world’s kite capital with a history of more than 2，000 years of kite craft. At the end of the story， Weifang is presented with a three-dimensional page design， and also interacts with young readers in the form of “looking for it.”

Cao Wenxuan

Cao Wenxuan is a professor of Chinese at Peking University， president of the Beijing Writers Association， winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award， and a famous Chinese children’s literature writer. More than 170 of his works have been translated into more than 40 languages and exported to more than 70 countries and regions.

Yu Rong

Yu Rong is a Chinese-British illustrator， attained his master’s from the Royal College of Art in the United Kingdom， and a visiting professor of the director of the Jiangnan Culture International Communication Research Center of Soochow University. He won the Special Contribution Award of the Chen Bochui International Children’s Literature Award， and his" picture books have won many international and domestic awards， including the Golden Apple Award at the Bratislava International Illustration Biennial （BIB）， and have been published in more than 20 countries， including the United Kingdom， Germany， Sweden， Italy， and New Zealand.

Wawa is my best friend.

Even when I feel small and low， Wawa still flies high.

We live in a little town where big winds blow in beside the river.

Everyone here loves to fly kites.

When I fly my kite， Wawa flies beside it.

I wish I could play with the other children in my town. They say， “You’re too small to play with us！”

Every day I check my height and hope that soon I’ll be tall enough to play with them.

I really want to fly my kite with them.

One day when the other children were flying their kites， I flew mine， but it got tangled with the other kites.

Someone grabbed my kite and stamped on it！

“You can’t fly your kite with us！ You’re too small and have ruined our fun.”

Angry and upset I threw my broken kite into the river.

As I watched it float away， I saw my reflection.

I looked small and sad." I threw a rock deep into the river so that my reflection broke apart and I didn’t have to see myself any more.

Wawa sat beside me and comforted me as the strong winds blew.

She tilted her head， looked at me and flew beside the river.

I followed Wawa curiously." I waded through the reeds by the riverbank.

Some were bigger than me and I couldn’t peer over them; others were so short that I almost tripped over them.

Wawa kept flying." She took me to the woods.

She flew higher and higher and I saw the towering trees above me， and the short shrubs near the ground where Wawa swooped to perch.

Wawa took me to the beach. On the sandy shore we found colourful shells of so many shapes and sizes.

Wawa joined a flock of seagulls.

She soared high in the sky with them and swooped down low near the sea.

Together with Wawa I had seen more of the world. There was so much difference， but beauty in how the reeds， the trees and shells all came together.

Seeing Wawa and the seagulls join together made me think of the town’s festival.

People of every age， size， and from all parts of the town came along to have fun， play， and celebrate together.

Like Wawa with her seagull friends， perhaps I could be different too！

I skipped over the beach， through the woods and along the riverbank， heading home.

On the way home， I rubbed out the line I’d drawn on the wall to show my height. “I am who I am and am as tall as I am， whether I’m tall or small，” I told myself.

Happily， I called in to see my granny and grandpa.

Together they showed me how to make a kite that would fly high in the sky. We made it big and bright！

Not long after， the town’s kite festival started.

Wawa flew alongside my kite.

“Swallow， swallow， you and Wawa go high into the sky together！”

The strong winds helped my kite rise higher and higher. Wawa flew up beside it！

Everyone cheered as they watched my kite and Wawa rise high in the sky！

“Hip， hip hooray！” They threw me high into the sky.

I felt the strong wind blowing beneath me just like my kite and like Wawa.

We all became friends as we flew our kites.

I was happy to be with everyone and I was happy being me.