The Colour of the Sky
Layn Marlow
Oxford Children’s Books

This story of a boy and his grandfather begins with the boy, Poya and his fascination with the many colours of the sky When the lad expresses a wish to reach the very top of the sky, his grandfather, Opi responds by showing Poya an old kite that he’d made with his own grandpa. They’d painted it blue to match the sky on a sunny day and it gave Opi the feeling he could react the sky whenever he flew it. Having heard that, Poya begs to try the kite and Opi agrees.

They climb to the top of a nearby hill where there’s plenty of wind. Following his grandpa’s instructions, the boy is thrilled when the kite takes flight and he starts running faster and faster, the kite soaring higher and higher. Suddenly Poya loses his footing

and Opi tells him to let go the kite string and the kite disappears into the blue leaving the boy feeling miserable. A sympathetic Opi takes his grandson home and to cheer him up, suggests they make a new kite together. Poya decides it should be painted the colour of the sky: I wonder what it will look like.

A lovely story that celebrates the special bond between a grandfather and grandchild and the beauty of nature. On the final page, the author gives instructions for making a mini kite from easily found materials. With autumnal, gusty days on their way, this is a book to share with foundation stage children. You can almost feel the wind blowing through the pages of this atmospheric exploration of autumn days and intergenerational love.