Customer Reviews

A Balloon for Isabel

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I have never taken time out to write a review but had to do it for this book. It's beaufully illustrated and colorful (the animals' facial expressions are expertly drawn to look very much like those of small children), I would not be surprised if it won a Caldecott medal this year.

This is an adorable story about a porcupine who wants a balloon of her own. (Balloons are given out to all the animals - except the porcupines - at graduation in their school.) Isabel is given several reasons why they cannot have one. After each reason, she counter argues, and tests several solutions, persistently trying to achieve her goals. Ultimately she arrrives at a solution that persuades her teacher to hand out balloons to all the porcupines. The teacher, a porcupine herself, is even delighted to choose her own balloon at the end of the story.

Particularly noteworthy is that this is a story in which the main character is a female who works patiently and persistently until she achieves her goals (unlike all the popular stories about dim-witted, passive princesses who do nothing to solve their own problems). My 4 year old wants to read it again & again.

I donated a copy of "A Balloon for Isabel" to a local school library. The librarian reported "I read it to a first grade class today and had two students ask me if they could check it out. I'm sure it will be popular with lots of the kids when I introduce it more widely."

The happy outcome for Isabel ought to encourage children to keep searching for solutions to problems even when their first attempts don't work out. The sweet solution will delight everyone.

A Balloon for Isabel is simply a wonderful book.

This is one of the few books for children that I instantly loved. After each page you just want to turn the next one because you absolutely want to know. I could not wait to share this delightful and fun story with my girls to see their reactions.

It was a complete success, they loved it. It always makes me happy when it is the chosen book of the evening. I enjoy reading it again and again and my girls enjoy hearing it again and again. Every time we get excited, Isabel just makes us think, smile and laugh and every time we talk about a different aspect of the story. The children can easily relate to the characters and the story.

The text is beautifully written, fun and the twist at the end is priceless.
The illustrations are happy and beautiful. They go so well with the story.

This is a must-have book and a must-offer book.

Thank you Deborah and Laura for your beautiful book.

This is a really lovely and touching story about Isabel, a porcupine who longs for a balloon. Obviously porcupines tend to pop balloons so Isabel can't have one. Can you imagine the longing for something that you are never allowed to have, but which everybody else loves? Isabel tries various solutions until ... well obviously you should read the story. It's certainly a happy ending but there's a subtle twist which just makes this tale complete for me.

I have to declare an interest since I am the author's (Deborah Underwood's) brother in law. This means I have known the book for some time, but on rereading it I was surprised how moving I found it to read. It is a privilege because our children (her nieces) get to act as story consultants, and they are are always excited when something new comes to try out!

The illustrations by Laura Rankin complement the story perfectly. Somebody more knowledgeable could describe how and why that's so, but they just seem to fit the story.

The thing I love about Deborah's writing in general and very definitely in this one is it's beautiful but deceptive simplicity. She writes lovely simple sentences, and each one advances the story. So it will be great for reading aloud, and also for children in their early reading years to read to themselves. But when you look carefully there's not a word out of place, and you can't see how any sentence could be improved. I guess the best way I can think to say it is that she knows that her readers have great imaginations, so she doesn't need to spell everything out. Coupled with Deborah's writing, beautiful illustrations, and a child's imagination, you can't go wrong.

As I write, Deborah is fifth in the New York Times bestseller list with "The Quiet Book.' It might be heresy, but I think I might go for A Balloon for Isabel instead. And if you can't choose, just go for both!

This is by far my daughter's favorite book. We read it every night until her brother started to rip the pages. Might have to bite the bullet and buy another copy although she has moved on to "The girl who never makes mistakes."

I needed a gift for a little girl named Isabella. When I saw the title of the book, I was thrilled, a perfect gift for a first grader. When I read the book, it was cute story, bright colors, and a happy ending.

My 5 year old daughter and I love this book. We loved it so much that we just had to buy it for her best friend Isabel. It is such great story and has a great message on being persistent, creative and inventive. The illustrations are darling. I highly recommend this book.