Living next to Niagara Falls, Homan Walsh loved flying kites more than anything.  Whenever the winds were strong, he rushed out to send his kite dancing into the sky.  In the 1840s, there was no bridge connecting the United States and Canada over the Falls.  Engineer Charles Ellet instigated a contest rewarding $10 to the first boy to fly a kite from one country to the other.  Homan designed and built a hexagonal kite he named Union.  Traveling to the Canadian side to take advantage of the southwest winds, Homan launched his kite.  It flew for hours and into the night.  Heartbreakingly, the cord broke and, because of weather, he could not retrieve his kite for eight long days.  Returning home, he found Union, repaired her, and returned to Canada’s high cliffs.  Sending Union soaring once again, this time he was successful.  Two countries were joined by the span of a kite string.  Beautiful paintings illustrate the poetic text, the vastness of the scenery, the almost insignificance of humans along the shore, and the turbulence of weather and severity of conditions.  The vivid language intensifies the sensory experience of this historical event.  There are multiple potential uses for this book: to be enjoyed “as is”, as a historical fiction, or as an example of STEM literature focusing on the technology of bridge building.  Information from historical documents included at the back of the book provide many detail in the story.  There is an author’s note, known facts, what is not known for sure, what happened next, and a timeline.  A bibliography of primary sources, websites, interviews, and videos are also included.  This book is a treasure.