A Year of Kites: Traditions Around the World is available for pre-order at major booksellers
Title released February 17, 2026!
In this inviting and informative picture book, travel the globe and learn how kites are flown to honor gods and ancestors, bring good fortune, celebrate milestones, and join communities together.
Kites fly high across the sky, around the world, all through the year.
Kites have been flown for nearly 3,000 years by people all over the world. In A Year of Kites, take a journey through kite-flying festivals in countries from Greece to New Zealand, from South Africa to Japan. Discover how kids fly kites in twelve unique places and be inspired by the beautiful kites that have captivated people across cultures and throughout history.
With warm and well-researched text from debut author Monisha Bajaj and vivid, sweeping art from New York Times bestselling illustrator Amber Ren, this colorful and inviting picture book celebrates the diversity of our world and the connections we share.
Written by Monisha Bajaj & Illustrated by Amber Ren
Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books
Available February 17, 2026
Monisha Bajaj is Professor of International and Multicultural Education at the University of San Francisco, USA. She is the author of eight books including Humanizing Education for Immigrant & Refugee Youth: 20 Strategies for the Classroom and Beyond (Teachers College Press, 2023) & Schooling for Social Change: The Rise and Impact of Human Rights Education in India (Bloomsbury 2012).
Amber Ren is a New York Times bestselling illustrator and a visual development artist in the animation industry. She earned her BFA in Character Animation at the California Institute of the Arts. Amber’s work is inspired by her love for folk art, nostalgia, inclusion, and her childhood spent in China. She is the illustrator of Because, Looking for a Jumbie, Night Market Rescue, and more.