You Can't Take a Balloon into the National Gallery [Hardcover]

Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman (Author), Robin Glasser (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

The majestic monuments of Washington, D.C., and the famed National Gallery provide the setting for a crazy collision of art and urban life in this inventive companion to You Can't Take a Balloon Into The Metropolitan Museum. It all starts with a little girl's trip to view the museum's treasures and the parallel journey of her runaway balloon. Floating past the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, White House, and many other landmarks, the balloon's adventures seem to mirror the paintings and sculptures raptly viewed by the wide-eyed little girl. An introduction to both our nation's capital and our national museum's art treasures, You Can't Take a Balloon Into The National Gallery once again "captures all the energy and charm of a captivating city."--Publishers Weekly on You Can't Take a Balloon into the Metropolitan Museum

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After a visit to the Metropolitan Museum and the National Gallery, this series' third book finds a girl, her grandparents and a green balloon in Boston, You Can't Take a Balloon into the Museum of Fine Arts by Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman, illus. by Robin Preiss Glasser. Like its predecessors, the wordless adventure features actual art reproductions amidst lively line drawings; famous Bostonians appear throughout. You Can't Take a Balloon into the National Gallery is now available in paperback. (May)
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 5-This zany adventure features the same intrepid grandmother who appeared in You Can't Take a Balloon into the Metropolitan Museum (Dial, 1998), here taking a grandson and granddaughter to visit the National Gallery. The granddaughter leaves her red balloon outside with a kind entrepreneur who takes pictures of tourists. As grandmother and children explore the highlights of the famous institution, the balloon escapes from the hands of the photographer and is buffeted about Washington, DC, followed by an accumulating parade of people who resemble characters in a slapstick silent comedy. As the balloon blows past the sights of the capital, the scenes echo the works of art that the family sees in the gallery. Some of these connections are amusing and clever (a George Bellows painting of a prizefight parallels a picture of the floor of the U.S. Senate where fists are raised); others are more strained (Matisse's "Large Composition with Masks" has little in common with the Queen of the Cherry Blossom Parade except in palette). The illustrator effectively uses full color to highlight the dramatic focus in each energetic pen-and-ink sketch. Front and back matter include a map of Washington and lists of the reproductions and "Faces from History" that are found throughout the book. Though the idea is not as original the second time around, it is still lots of fun.
Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Greenwich, CT
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Dial; First Printing edition (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803723032
• ISBN-13: 978-0803723030
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 11.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #933,886 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW!!!, March 9, 2001

By 

"johavivasmommy" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: You Can't Take a Balloon into the National Gallery (Hardcover)

As I have just written in my 5-star review of "You Can't Take a Balloon to The Metropolitan Museum,": The really good news is that the Preiss sisters HAVE written another book and are working on a third. The second in this series, You Can't Take a Balloon to The National Gallery, is also fabulous. In fact, it is so good that, up until 2 weeks ago, my 3 year old would point out about twice a week that we had not been to the "Natural Gallery" when I asked her what we should do that day.

The only thing that changed since then is that I took her and her 1 year old sister to Washington last week, using the book as a guide book. If you think you like these books now, try using them as a template for a trip with your children! WOW!!!!!! What a wonderful way to get them ready for a trip and what a wonderful thing to carry the book with you, comparing what you are seeing to what you have read!!!! How great to go back to the hotel and see what you have seen and are going to see!!!! How great to get home and have an instant scrap book!!!!

With this experience behind us, we also can't wait until next Spring when You Can't Take a Balloon to The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is scheduled to come out!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wild Adventure is key to Life and Learning, August 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: You Can't Take a Balloon into the National Gallery (Hardcover)

A profound success on many fronts. I'm totally taken by its creativity, cleverness, and messages. This book has adventure, drama, historical details -- I love the "Faces from History" part (plus the learning within them), as offered ever so playfully! At the same time, "You Can't Take A Balloon..." is warm and filled with great joy. If all learning was presented so refreshingly, we'd have a different world!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Adventure in D. C., April 16, 2001

By 

Roz Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: You Can't Take a Balloon into the National Gallery (Hardcover)

Grandma is taking a little girl and her brother to the National Gallery of Art. As they walk in, the little girl hands her balloon to a nice photographer to hold for her, since balloons are not allowed inside. But as the three begin their tour of the gallery, the balloon comes loose and sails away..... You Can't Take a Balloon Into the National Gallery is a creative and inventive picture book that will entrance and mesmerize youngsters of all ages with its busy, expressive artwork, great attention to detail and famous Americans hidden in the pictures. The Preiss sister's marvelous and clever pen and ink illustrations, with bright color used only to highlight the chaos of the balloon's trip, parallels the tour inside the gallery, as life imitates art and art imitates life. This book includes a wonderfully detailed map of the balloon's route through D.C. and an answer key full of fun facts and historical notes for their hidden faces, at the end. It's impossible to open this book without finding something new and exciting that you've never seen before. For hours of fun, You Can't Take a Balloon Into the National Gallery is an adventure that will delight and amuse everyone in the family.