Contents of blog copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2023
I've been gone a while. I started reading fanfiction to escape and I got sucked in an abyss.

I have no idea if someone else is hosting similar challenges. I just grabbed some of what I have hosted before.

Here's to a happy year of great reading
Jan2023: Not much has changed. Writing a fanfiction now O_o as well as reading but I bought 7 new books in December and hope to get those read soon. Crossing fingers about adding challenges (late!)

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Thoughts on . . . My Yellow Balloon by Tiffany Papageorge

My Yellow Balloon
by Tiffany Papageorge

Publisher: Minoan Moon Publishing
ISBN: 978-0990337003
Published: October, 2014
genre: picture book
48 pages
age level: 4-8

format available: hardcover, ebook

author's website - Facebook

Grade: A

Description:

It all started at the carnival...That’s where Joey makes a new friend: a bright yellow balloon. Joey and his beloved balloon do everything together, until the balloon accidentally slips off Joey’s wrist and flies far, far away. What will Joey do without his special friend?

Tiffany Papageorge has crafted a poignant tale of love, loss, and letting go that will serve as a comforting guide to children who are navigating the complicated emotions of grief. Rich, luminous illustrations by Erwin Madrid perfectly capture these timeless themes, making them accessible to even the youngest reader.

Honest, unflinching, and ultimately reassuring, My Yellow Balloon will resonate with anyone who has endured the darkness of grief, while offering hope for brighter days ahead.


My Thoughts
First off, the hardcover book itself is nice. Thick, glossy pages make a nice feel in your hands as your read.

The first pages are full of color with a happy feel. The way to balloon flies away was surprising and the pages after are now less full of the illustrations and they're muddier in color. Until the very end when Joey realized that just because his balloon is gone, doesn't mean he can't be happy remembering the good times they shared.

Then one day. In one second. Everything changed.

Death can be that fast and reading about Joey and his struggles after his balloon flew away brought tears to my eyes. The stages of grief are illustrated as well as the feelings of "sad most of the time", "a lot of the time", and "some of the time". Until a trip to the park . . .

Once more. In one second. Everything changed.

Tiffany has taken a hard subject and simplified it just enough. Along with Erwin's illustrations, this is a book deserving a spot in our school and home libraries.


Disclaimer: I received a complimentary review copy of this book without any obligation to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in this post are mine and may differ from yours. Book information courtesy of amazon.com and is being reviewed as part of LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program.

copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2015

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I'll have to make a note of this one since it's obviously about something so difficult and important.

Disclaimer

In accordance to the FTC guidelines, I must state that I make no monetary gains from my reviews or endorsements here on Book Dragon's Lair. All books I review are either borrowed, purchased by me, given as a gift, won in some kind of contest, or received in exchange for an honest review.