Beaten by a Balloon [Hardcover]

Margaret Mahy (Author), Jonathan Allen (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1998 | Age Level: 1 and up

A whimsical parody of politically correct parentsSam Appleby's dad won't make him a sword, or even let him play with a water pistol. Instead, Dad buys Sam a nice, nonviolent sunflower and a balloon. But when Dad and Sam find themselves being threatened by the dread robber Buckbounder, they learn there's more bang in a sunflower than they could have ever guessed... This bit of inspired silliness comes from the incomparable team of Margaret Mahy and Jonathan Allen. Booklist said of their last collaboration, The Three-Legged Cat, The plot is deliciously ludicrous....The broad wit of the watercolor illustrations ensures that kids will tune into the humor of the story.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3?Who'd ever think a bad guy could be beaten by a balloon? Why, Mahy, of course, who teams up with Allen in another book with an outrageous plot and its own wonderful logic. When Sam Appleby asks his father to make him a sword, his gentle father is shocked. Sam tells him that "Mr. Mackie made Hacky Mackie a sword with a red jewel stuck on the handle." Hacky also has a plastic dagger, a slingshot, and a laser gun. Sam's father is unimpressed and buys instead a balloon, a chocolate cake, and a sunflower. Then, when the two boys and their fathers stop at the bank and run into Buckbounder, a notorious bank robber, readers will be delighted to see which of the two families saves the day?and how. A fast-moving story line, funny names, and lots of alliteration make this a great read-aloud choice. Allen's comic pictures, like James Stevenson's, are deceptively simple. The artist shows the obvious (the chocolate cake in the face) and the subtle (both Mackies with their beady little eyes) equally well. His sense of the ridiculous is right in sync with Mahy's. Overall, this book revels in its own silliness, which kids will love. Adults will appreciate the anti-violence message, which is there for those who look for it but it doesn't get in the way of the fun.?Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 4^-8. With a slapstick tall tale, Mahy has fun with the macho gang and with the peaceniks, and Allen's wild, cartoon-style illustrations extend the farce. Sam Appleby would love to have a sword or a plastic laser space gun to play with, but his bespectacled dad is aghast: "Never! No violent toys in our family." Instead, Dad buys Sam a balloon and a sunflower, and they take home a prickly rose and a chocolate cake for Mom. Bully Hacky Mackie and his dad jeer at the gentle Applebys, until the scoundrel Buckbounder tries to rob the bank. The bullies cower in fear, while Sam bangs his balloon, his dad plasters the robber in the face with chocolate cake, and they jam the sunflower pot over his head. Without saccharine messages, the silliness is all the more effective because Mahy acknowledges that we all get angry and would so long to have just one weapon--well, at least a water pistol. Hazel Rochman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 1 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile; Hardcover edition (March 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670876976
• ISBN-13: 978-0670876976
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #604,973 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Margaret Mahy lives in New Zealand and is internationally acknowledged as one of the most outstanding children's writers today. She is the author of more than two hundred books for children of all ages, two of which have received England's Carnegie Medal and others of which have garnered numerous citations from the American Library Association. She is also the recipient of An Order of New Zealand, the highest honor a citizen can receive. In 2006 she received the Hans Christian Andersen award for her contributions to international children's literature.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars peaceniks prevail, July 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Beaten by a Balloon (Picture Puffins) (Mass Market Paperback)

Sam Appleby doesn't appreciate the fact that his father won't let him have guns and swords like his friends, so when a thief comes to town, the two of them use a wide array of items from a sunflower to a chocolate cake to successfully stop him. This book is very funny and will be enjoyed by every child that ever waved a stick as a weapon, and by every parent that tried to explain why this isn't always the best of ideas.