Help finding book from my childhood

This is a long shot but… this book I read as a kid has haunted me for YEARS and I’ve never been able to find it.

I know it was a children-friendly book because I used to check it out from my school library in 1st-2nd grade (2001-2003). All I can remember is there being a child, mom, and dad, and they ended up at the edge at the earth… I don’t know if they were traveling there or ended up there, but I do remember some sort of journey / trials. I’m picturing a kite for some reason, a barren desert, a cliff edge, and I recall the parents being sort of somber. Although I can’t remember a specific antagonist, the book gave me a super creepy and scared feeling. It was a picture book and I remember the illustrations being sort of Dutch-style and a little gloomy. Maybe a little like the illustrations in Miss Nelson is Missing but more realistic.

I’ve had reccuring flashbacks of this book for YEARS and I’m starting to think it was a dream…

Does this sounds familiar to anyone?

by elawith1L