A boy in Brooklyn receives a package from Iran. When he opens up the mysterious bottle that lies within, a great wind transports him over the oceans and mountains, straight into the arms of his grandfather. Despite being separated by politics and geography, the boy and his Baba Bazorg can share an extraordinary gift, the bond of their love.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
K-Gr. 3. The book jacket, featuring a picture of a bottle with a rolled map plugging the opening, is the first intriguing image in this story of a young boy's strange journey. The bottle arrives in a package; when the boy removes the map, wind blows out of the bottle, whisking him across the sea and through the city where his father was born to the place where his grandfather, Baba Bazorg, now lives. Together they have tea, and the grandfather explains how, whenever the boy wants a cup of tea, he can open the bottle and be carried back to him. Children may not grasp the deeper idea about love and caring crossing borders, and the country to which the boy travels is not identified in the text (according to the blurb, it's Iran). The artwork, however, is striking--an effective combination of simple, cut-paper shapes, collage, and stamp art, set against maps charting the boy's adventure. Give this to the children of immigrant families and to any child whose loving relatives live far away. Julie Cummins
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
About the Author
Kristen Balouch is the author and illustrator ofMystery Bottle.She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and two children.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Everyone Loves a Mystery,
This review is from: Mystery Bottle (Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award) (Hardcover)
I would recommend this book for grades K to 2. All children would like to receive a package with a mysterious bottle that would transport them over oceans and mountains to some place far away. This could have a strong appeal for those children that have family members not close by.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Finally a kids book about Iranians!,
This review is from: Mystery Bottle (Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award) (Hardcover)
I'm half Persian and my daughter is really close to her Baba Bozorg. I have wanted to find a way for her to understand some of his history since it fades with each generation. The closest thing I had found was Grandfather's Journey by Allan Say, which is absolutely fantastic, but about a Japanese family.
Mystery Bottle is a sweet story of love between a child and his/her grandparent. It is beautifully illustrated, includes a little Farsi (although I wish it had more) and some very Iranian items (dolmas, musical instruments, rugs, etc) that are good launching points for talking about what Baba Bozorg's life was like in Iran, etc. Highly recommended. My daughter wants to read this book all the time.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Charming and beautifully illustrated story!,
By Ranse Ransone (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Mystery Bottle (Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award) (Hardcover)
Mystery Bottle is a delight...bright, colorful, and intricately
detailed, Balouch's whimsical collages bring to mind the playful skill of Maira Kalman and Simms Taback. The story is just as good, and will certainly hook the young reader who loves a bit of mystery with his or her pictures. (Parents and grandparents will also appreciate the quiet lessons to be learned about family and love.) Magical!
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
A package came for me early in the morning. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
A package came for me early in the morning. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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