Long, long ago when I was first starting to write, I came across a story in the newspaper about a girl who flew her kite at a park. A plane flew by and the kite snagged on it and up she went. I thought, what if she went for a plane ride while holding onto her kite. What a great adventure! And how would she get down? Via a circus tent, of course! And guess who became the star of the circus show?

I wrote what was first called Katie's Kite Ride in poetry form and it began like this:

Up high

in the sky

Katie flies her kite.

Plane low

Ut-oh.

Something isn't right.

Both my agent and I loved it and so did some publishers, but not enough to make an offer. So over the years I revised, she sent it out, and we still haven't placed it.  

We tried to submit it with illustrations to show how wonderful the text and art could be married. Sylvia Kantorowitz, the illustrator for my book, Go to Bed, Monster!, was experimenting with a new style using Post-it notes and she applied it to Katie's story.

Still didn't sell.

We put our heads together and tried to figure out why it wasn't selling. Heart. "It needs, heart!" said my agent, Linda Pratt. It couldn't be just an adventure. It had to tug at not only the kite strings, but the heart strings.

So I rewrote it as a separation story, where Katie gets separated from her father via the kite and then they are safely reunited at the end. It is now called Hold on Tight and it's available for publication. Here's it is!

Hold on Tight! 

by Natasha Wing

Windy day

Let’s play

At the city park.

Brings kite

Red and white           

And their doggy Spark.

Up high

In the sky

Katie flies her kite.

String slips

Kite dips

Dad says Hold on tight!

Plane low      (small plane with banner reading, Circus Today!)

Uh-oh!

Flight paths set to cross.

Pilot stares

Katie glares

She’ll show him who’s boss.

Kite snags

Plane drags

Katie pulled along.

Hold tight

Little kite

Hope your string is strong.

Plane faster

Green pasture

Horses whinny, NEIGH!

Barn smells

Father yells

“Fall into the hay!”

Not yet

They jet

Heading for the town.

Katie sails

Lady wails,

“Someone get her down!”

Firemen

Five, no ten

Running to and fro.

Plane tips

Katie flips

Spark barks down below.

Plane loops

Katie swoops

Stunt show jamboree.

Plane stalls

Free falls

Katie cries out, “Wheee!”

Crowd parts

Engine starts

Circles a big tent.

Plane slow

LET GO!  (dad yells)

Wonder where she went?

Tent rips

Heart skips

Heading for the ring.

Clowns galore

Lions roar

Grabs the trapeze swing.

Spotlight

Follows flight

Katie steals the show!

Star now

Takes a bow

Crowd cheers out, “BRAVO!”

Loud bark

Here, Spark!

Everything’s all right.

Big hug,

Hearts tug,

Dad says, Hold me tight. 

If you are a publisher looking for a heartwarming story with simple text, contact my agent, Linda Pratt, at Wernick & Pratt at (845) 831-2639. A print out version is attached.

If you're an artist wanting to practice illustrating a book, feel free to illustrate my text. Contact my agent for permission rights if you do want to sell your artwork with my text.