OBSTREPEROUS

In author/illustrator Greenwood’s picture-book reissue, a little boy creates a wild, willful toy.

One morning, a child (called only “the Maker”) wakes up and decides to craft a kite. When it’s finished, there’s no wind, and the boy must wait. After waiting several days, the wind picks up and the kite is airborne. It first lands in the blackberries, then in the pond. Mrs. Pinch, a neighbor, disapproves, but Mr. Crinkle, another local, offers a new word to describe the kite: “Ob stre per ous….It means naughty and hard to manage.” (The humans all present as White.) The Maker names the kite Obstreperous and gives it a frowning face; it flies higher and higher until the string snaps. The Maker is sad, but Obstreperous, now smiling, floats away, unfettered. The simple language makes good use of line breaks, as in the lines “The face of the Maker looked sad as his eyes followed the string / that went / nowhere,” arranged next to the downcast boy. These lend the work surprising emotional weight, particularly during its bittersweet ending. However, the illustrations make this book magical. Originally published in 1969, the book has a gratifyingly funky 20th-century look with a mix of line drawings, simple color washes, and doodlelike fills, all in soft, earthy tones, making it feel simultaneously familiar and fresh.

A delightful (re)discovery.