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You Can't Take a Balloon into the Metropolitan Museum Hardcover – October 1, 1998

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

31 customer reviews

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New York City and its famed Metropolitan Museum of Art provide the setting for a crazy collision of art and city life in this inventively illustrated picture book. It all starts with a little girl?s trip to view the museum?s treasures and the parallel journey of her runaway yellow balloon. Floating down Fifth Avenue, past Central Park, bumping into a very silly tea party at the Plaza Hotel, and even adding to a tumultuous performance at the Metropolitan Opera, the balloon becomes part of a hilarious panorama of scenes that seem to mirror the paintings and sculpture raptly viewed by the wide-eyed little girl. The result is an illuminating exploration of how life can be captured with both the blink of an eye, and the stroke of a brush. Real-life sisters Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman and Robin Preiss Glasser pooled their skills, ideas, and memories to create this very special collaboration. Ms. Glasser is the illustrator of Judith Viorst?s Alexander, Who?s Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!) Going to Move.Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman lives in New York City.Robin Preiss Glasser lives in Newport Beach, California.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Loaded with pizzazz, this wordless story takes readers on a great balloon chase that encompasses some of New York City's most celebrated sites. A grandmother and a girl holding a yellow helium balloon are stopped at the door of the Metropolitan Museum and a guard ties the forbidden toy to the banister, offering to keep an eye on it. The moment he turns away, a pigeon unties the balloon, and the guard is off and running to retrieve it. Detailed pen-and-ink drawings, punctuated with color to highlight the central action, show all the chaos that ensues, from Central Park to the Plaza Hotel to a production of Aida at the Metropolitan Opera. Into the scenes of mayhem, Glasser (Alexander, Who's Not [Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!] Going to Move) cleverly inserts reproductions of famous works of art, as viewed by the girl and grandmother, each a reflection of whatever action is going on around the balloon. In the onstage scene at the opera, for example, a dog walker, a zookeeper, a Plaza bellhop and others wreak havoc while the girl and her grandmother view an equally erratic painting (Autumn Rhythm) by Jackson Pollock. Some pairings work better than others, but Glasser's drawings capture all the energy and charm of a captivating city. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-In this wordless picture book, a little girl visits the Metropolitan Museum with her grandma, leaving her yellow balloon tied to the railing outside. However, it escapes with the help of a pigeon and the rest of the story follows the balloon's adventures in New York City while the little girl and her grandmother are inside. There are often three or more busy vignettes filled with activity and energy on each page. Adults may pick up on the fact that the balloon's adventures are often thematically matched with the sights at the Met (e.g., as the museum-goers view the Temple of Dendur, the balloon shares the stage at the Metropolitan Opera with Aida). The balloon has many wild escapades that show children and adults in silly settings throughout the city. This is a fun story with a lovely grandparent/child relationship. It won't teach readers much about famous paintings or about life in New York City, but it does offer lots of viewing for children and adults to share.
Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York City
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product details

Age Range: 5 - 8 years
Grade Level: Kindergarten - 3
Hardcover: 48 pages
Publisher: Dial Books; 1st edition (October 1, 1998)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0803723016
ISBN-13: 978-0803723016
Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 0.4 x 11.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #441,345 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #904 in Books > Children's Books > Geography & Cultures > Explore the World > United States
- #1398 in Books > Children's Books > Arts, Music & Photography > Art
- #10417 in Books > Children's Books > Humor

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Customer Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars

5 star		78%
4 star		13%
3 star		3%
2 star		3%
1 star		3%

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Top Customer Reviews

Great Opportunity to Explore New Vocabulary

ByAmbon January 3, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Like the similarly themed "You Can't Take a Balloon into the National Gallery," this is a delightful wordless picture book. My son and I have really enjoyed going frame by frame and identifying all the objects he recognizes and learning lots more. At his age - he's two years old - the book works best as a vocabulary lesson. The plot and careful parallels between inside and outside the museum are subtle and are lost on him at the moment. For an older child, though, I imagine the plot is uproarious. Every time we read it, my son gets more and more out of it, so I do recommend it, even for younger children.

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Wordless- but perfectly captivating.

ByTeachingStarson June 11, 2012

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I picked this book up at from the library because I had seen some of the bad reviews here. I wanted to try it out for myself before I made a purchase. Contrary to some of the negative reviews, I feel that the fact that this book is wordless ADDS to its appeal. It's wordless but captivating. These books are guaranteed conversation starters. Each scene is filled with detailed imagery but its balanced use of color and black-and-white images keeps it from becoming overwhelming. The illustrations beg to be explored and my children were only too happy to comply. I went ahead and purchased all three in the series.

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Wish I had written it

Bybuymystuffnycon September 18, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

A lovely book. All pictures. NO WORDS.And beautiful works of art from the museum. Get your kid to add in the words.

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the beautiful book

ByYelena Banduraon September 12, 2009

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

there is no text in this book.Only beautifully done pictures that create a complicated story of run away balloon.
I'm "reading" it (meaning creating my own story which i change every time)to my about 3 yrs old Grandchild and, I think, I'll get back to this book till he turns 6 or 7.
he loves the stories and is learning to add his own versions.
besides, the book will kindle in your child the interest to a museum concept.

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Arft museums love this book.

ByLucyon August 1, 2013

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

This is so much fun for children and adults to experience together.
There is no narrative. We make up the story as we go along, and
we try to identify pieces of art and architecture along the way.
Good teaching tool.

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No words, but the pictures are worth thousands of them!

ByVirginia E. Farrellon January 22, 2008

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I got this book without much research, I wasn't aware that there were no words in it when I got it for my toddler art class. Glancing through it, I was at first dissapointed, until my kids (6, 4, and 2) looked at it with me. As an artist and art history major in college, great pieces of art aren't unusual in our house, but the kids really looked at the pieces trying to find every funny tie in that the crazy balloon and balloon chasers stumbled into. What's more they started looking at other pieces and coming up with their own funny ideas of what could happen. It won't work for my class, it's better for older kids, but I'll be buying others in this series because they work perfectly for my home!

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great for the imagination

ByKellyon July 30, 2013

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

My almost 2 year old son loves this book. He could read it over and over again. It is fun because there aren't any words. So you can change things up a little.

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Art for Childre

ByMary F. Hattonon October 15, 2014

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Great introduction to art appreciation for children

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

My grandson loves it!

My 3 year old grandson loves this book! Sometimes he "reads" it to me, sometimes he helps and corrects me when I read it to him.Read more

Published 7 months ago by L. DAmbra

Five Stars

love it Read more

Published on August 22, 2014 by CINDERELLASCOACH

Fun and educational.

My grandchildren loved it. We are anxious for our trip to the museum. Now we have some special pictures to find Read more

Published on August 30, 2013 by Kathleen McGurn

Gorgeous book

This is a gorgeous, wordless oversized paperback book. The art work is fun. The story is outrageous and engaging.Read more

Published on June 23, 2011 by Harper Curtis

Wordless wonder!

This is a great story about a little girl, a kind guard, and a runaway balloon.

I love the details about how everywhere the BALLOON goes is mimicked by whatever the...Read more

Published on June 8, 2010 by Ulyyf

bad service

Basically this company sent me the wrong book twice. It took about 6 weeks and i never got the book I requested. Finally they credit my credit card.Read more

Published on February 10, 2010 by bobbie

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