My Red Balloon [Hardcover]

Eve Bunting (Author), Kay Life (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

The boy has been waiting for this day for many months. It's the day his daddy comes home from overseas. He jumps out of bed and gets ready for the big event. But before going downstairs for breakfast, he takes along something very important: his red balloon. There will be many families and loved ones at the pier. The red balloon will help his father find him among the crowd. When the boy and his mother get to the pier, they find parents waiting for daughters and sons, and children waiting for mommies and daddies. Suddenly, the crowd gives up a rousing cheer as the big ship approaches the harbor. The boy can see sailors standing on the deck. Could one of them be his daddy? But as the ship approaches, the boy loses his grip on the red balloon. Will his daddy find him in the crowd? Eve Bunting's endearing story is lovingly illustrated by Kay Life and captures that special moment when a family is reunited after months of separation.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 4–Today's the day a little boy's Navy Dad comes home after being at sea. As an excited crowd waits for the ship, he holds a Welcome Home red balloon tied tightly around his wrist so that his father can find him on the dock. He loosens the string and sadly watches the balloon float away. Of course, his daddy still finds him and all is well. Gently told, this story shows the joy felt when loved ones come home after serving our country. Realistic details such as the sailors standing on the deck in their dress whites and members of the crowd snapping pictures add authenticity. Similar in tone and theme to Mindy Pelton's When Dad's at Sea (Whitman, 2004) and Sarah Wones Tomp's Red, White, and Blue Good-bye (Walker, 2005), this book's soft, watercolor illustrations reflect the diversity of the Navy's personnel. This is another sensitive, caring title for service families and those who work with them.–Pamela K. Bomboy, Chesterfield County Public Schools, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS. A young, blonde preschooler, Bobby, cannot wait for a huge aircraft carrier to dock; Daddy's ship is coming home after many months at sea. Tension builds as Bobby and his mom leave home and join other families on the quay, watching for the ship, and then, finally, rejoicing as the sailors disembark. To make sure Daddy will recognize him, Bobby carries a big, heart-shaped "Welcome home" balloon. "Daddy won't know me, Bobby cries, after losing the balloon, but Daddy knows his son and lifts him in a smiling embrace. True to the small child's viewpoint, there is no talk of war or patriotism, right or wrong, only that Daddy was "making sure our country stays safe." The clear, idyllic watercolors show the poignant homecoming and one loving family's pride, yearning, and heartfelt reunion. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Boyds Mills Press; 1 edition (September 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590782631
• ISBN-13: 978-1590782637
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #980,440 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Eve Bunting has written more than 200 books for children, many of which can be found in libraries around the world. Her other Clarion titles for very young readers include My Big Boy Bed, which was also illustrated by Maggie Smith, and Little Bear's Little Boat, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. She lives in Pasadena, California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars My Red Balloon Book, April 20, 2011

By 

Carolyn R. Fortney - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: My Red Balloon (Hardcover)

it was a gift for my grandson.
he enjoyed the story.
so the gift made both our days!

5.0 out of 5 stars Great deployment book, March 15, 2011

By 

K. Shields "teacher mom" (Tampa, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Red Balloon (Hardcover)

Many of the deployment books are poorly made, either in illustrations or binding quality. My Red Balloon has beautiful illustrations, and is a book that will hold up through your whole deployment, or several deployments in our case. It made me cry the first several times we read it, but it does help the child to picture how chaotic and exciting a homecoming is, and it helps the whole family to prepare for Daddy's arrival. It shows a Naval homecoming, and my husband is a Marine, but the general idea is the same. I think this book is an excellent companion to "Red White and Blue Goodbye," which is similar but talks about leaving.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars close to home, June 20, 2008

By 

Brandi Howell "happy mom" (farmington, nm, usa) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: My Red Balloon (Hardcover)

we got this from the library a year ago or so. my boys were 2 and 5 at the time. the older one cried and told me never to read it to him again. cute, huh? anyway. my husband is in the navy and our kids have gone through this themselves. i thought it was a very cute book with a very good idea behind it.