Where Do Balloons Go? An Uplifting Mystery :: Education by Design Store

Editorial Review
Anyone who has ever let go of a balloon string and watched the bright object go up and up and out of sight will appreciate this whimsical picture book that ponders the age-old question Where Do Balloons Go? This "uplifting mystery"--examined in singsong rhyme by Jamie Lee Curtis and playfully explored with Roz Chast-like illustrations by Laura Cornell--is a new offering from the team behind Today I Feel Silly, When I Was Little, and Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born.

Where do they go
when they float far away?
Do they ever catch cold
and need somewhere to stay?

Customer Reviews

Great lesson on loss and grief

2008-01-18
As an elementary school counselor I used this book to help students cope with grief and loss.

Jamie Lee Curtis ROCKS!!!!!

2007-01-04
I wish there was a way to promote her books more. I bought one of Jamie's earlier books for a little boy a couple years ago. Recently, I was very surprised when his Mother said that it was the only book he enjoyed reading and wanted "Where Do Balloons Go?" for a birthday presnt. This little boy doesn't read very much but spends a lot of time in front of the television or computer, so it was very uplifting to know he realized there is more to life than visuals.

2nd time purchased

2006-11-10
Our grandson has this book & loves it so much that we purchased another as a gift for our nephew.

Fun, Silly and Most Importantly, Engaging for Young Readers!

2006-09-30
I think every young child whose ever accidentally released a balloon into the wild blue yonder has wondered what happens to them...and this book gives kids some whimsical ideas about the secret life of balloons that should ease their minds about what happens...I suppose this is a better way for kids to think about it than just popping somewhere up there and plummeting to the ground. The words are written in silly rhymes and the illustrations are lush and whimsical...just plain silly and loads of fun for young readers. Younger kids (2-4) will like having the opportunity to explore each page and older kids (5-8) will enjoy reading all the additional text loaded onto each page (balloons writing post cards, signs for various things, ect...) that should help keep their interest when the simple rhyme is, well, too simple for them to enjoy. Each page feels rather like an explosion of art and whimsy...it is that chaotic splendor that kids can't help but love!! Where to Balloons Go? doesn't provide any scientific explanation...but it's not meant to, it's just plain fun!! Kids and adults alike will have fun reading this and diving right into the incredible illustrations...if you've got a kid 4-8, this is a must read!!

artistic, creative, clever, addictive!!

2006-01-24
my daughter absolutely loves this book. the age range says 4 and up but my daughter is two and loves it and is addicted to it. she wants me to read it to her before her nap and bedtime. i would say not to leave it down where a child under 4 could rip the pages. this books verbage and artwork is so clever. my daughter and i both get a kick out of it. there are reusable stickers included in the back of the book and you can use them on the pretty inside covers in the front or back (slick surface- either cloud or space background). she always sees them when we are done reading and can't wait until she can one day play with them. she loves stickers but tends to rip them and ruin them at this age- so i'm waiting to let her play with these! i would recommend this book to anyone, and i know i will buying this as gifts!

Great for a child that has lost someone.

2006-01-16
Anyone who has ever let go of a balloon string and watched the bright object go up and up and out of sight will appreciate this whimsical picture book that ponders the age-old question Where Do Balloons Go? This "uplifting mystery"--examined in singsong rhyme by Jamie Lee Curtis and playfully explored with Roz Chast-like illustrations by Laura Cornell--is a new offering from the team behind Today I Feel Silly, When I Was Little, and Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born.

Where do they go
when they float far away?
Do they ever catch cold
and need somewhere to stay?

"Do they tango with airplanes? / Or cha-cha with birds? / Can plain balloons read / balloons printed with words?" Cornell's splashy colorful spreads (one which folds out to four full pages) pop with plenty of witty details. One balloon, for example, waits nervously with a suitcase outside the Bates Motel. In a balloon-ridden urban scenario, advertisements promote balloon-friendly services such as "The Detanglers, professionals since 1934." This exuberant book will have you half-believing that balloons are people, too. A page of vinyl reusable stickers in the back can be used on the sky-and-cloud wash on the front endpaper, or the space-scape (complete with comets) on the back endpaper. Next time your child's balloon drifts away, it'll be much easier for him or her to imagine it dancing in Bolivia than caught up in phone wires! (Ages 4 to 8) --Karin Snelson

Jamie Lee Curtis does it again! 2005-06-07
My daughter loves "Today I Feel Silly," and "I'm Gonna Like Me." I bought this one based on those two books and I'm not disappointed.

All little kids lose balloons and feel sad when they do. This book gives them a positive way to think about their lost balloons. My daughter has referred to this book when she loses a balloon. Somehow thinking of them having a "big balloon dance" makes her feel better.

I highly recommend this book!

wonderful book for children and adults 2005-05-16
I received this book as a gift four months ago after the birth of my son. My friend thought it would be perfect for both my son and for me. My dad died three months before my son was born, so this book has an underlying meaning for myself as well. One of the lines: Then does it get quiet? Do the stars give a shove? And send it on high to that place up above? Does it float there forever remembering me? And know that I'm happy that it's floating free?

The book reminds me of my dad. But it is also a nicely illustrated book for little children. My baby loves listening to me read this book.

Awsome Book! 2005-02-03
My 2 year old daughter loves balloons and she just loves this book! We checked it out of our local library and I had to buy it because she wanted me to read it to her over and over.

The pictures are wonderful and keep her attention since there is so much to look at. You see something new every time you turn the pages. It is definately worth purchasing.

You'll Want to Float Away With These Balloons! 2004-11-09
Celebrity authors of children's books frequently disappoint. This is not the case with this whimsical tale that ponders the plight of balloons that accidentally get loose or are simply set free. Curtis' fanciful imagination raises a number of amusing and delightful possibilities as she instills the wayward balloons with human characteristics and individual personalities. The humans that populate her tale seem fully cognizant and comfortable with this fact as they freely interact with the vigorous and lively balloons. Curtis suggests possible "solutions" to the loose balloon mystery in open questions to the audience -including queries about whether they "tango with airplanes" or "cha-cha with birds." But she never "solves" the mystery, leaving it for her readers to ponder and decide for themselves. Cornell's boldly colored, action-packed, cartoon drawings of the balloons intermingling with humans are a perfect match for Curtis' verse. Without being overly distracting, Cornell's illustrations provide something on virtually page to discover and amuse each time the reader looks at a page, no matter how many times they have looked at it before. The net result is a true crowd pleaser. Highly recommended for ages 3 to 6.