Obstreperous

Almost every child has at some time made a kite. But few have ever made a kite with so much a mind of its own as Obstreperous. Though it was made in the normal way, with sticks and string and paper and rags, it did not fly in anything like a normal way. At first it didn’t fly at all because there was no wind. And then when the winds came, it dipped and bounced and created all sorts of problems for its maker. In the end, too, it had its way and left some people happy and some a little sad.

An international treasure from the Australian countryside, 1969’s Obstreperous is one of author and illustrator Ted Greenwood’s best-loved children’s books, and Mexican Summer & Anthology has brought it back into print for the first time in generations.