Fun book that explores the question of where do balloons go. It was great for the imagination of my little kindergartener and can definitely inspire little one to ask more question and image what goes on in our world. ( )

Typical JLC story. It’s a big question of where do balloons go, and the ideas that a child might have about their location. It is a fun rhyming trip that is a blast for storytime. ( )

I enjoyed reading this book for a number of reasons. The illustrations in this story are very well done and add a lot to the story's plot. For example on one page you can see the balloon being chased by a dog or twisted into a balloon animal. There is also a page that folds out that makes the story interactive for young readers. The story was told from a child's perspective, and the language really reflected that well. It was clear that a child was asking all of the questions in the book. The overall message of this story was really nice and important. The message is that it's important to ask a lot of questions about things you find interesting, no matter the subject. ( )

Summary:
Where do Balloons go, is a beautifully written and illustrated story about a young boy, who wonders what happens to balloons when you let go of them. The story follows all the different scenarios that the boy comes up with, including how balloons might get married, meet up with other balloons that have been let go, or even how they might challenge a rocket to a race out in space. The text follows the thought of the little boy, whereas the illustrations bring his thoughts to life, and follow the story from the balloons point of view. The combination of both the text and illustrations takes us on a funny and cute adventure.

Personal Reaction:
This story is near and dear to me, because I remember when my mother first read it to my brothers and I, when we lost our great grandmother. She would also come to our classes in elementary school and read it to the class. I remember as a child, I was engulfed in the vivid pop art illustrations, and loved following the balloons throughout the story. As a mom, I love to read this book to my own children, and watch as they take in the mystery and wonder of what happens to a balloon when you let it go. I got to feel the innocence of this book as a child, and now I get to relive it through my own children.

Extension Ideas:
After reading this picture book to my students, I would then give them each a blown-up balloon attached to a string, and invite them to use markers and or stickers to decorate the balloon to give it character like those from the story. Another project would be to have the students write up their own ideas of where they think balloons go when you let them go, then as a class, we would create our own story. ( )

I really enjoyed this book because as a reader, I was able to follow along with the imagination of the writer. It is a very creative story that is directly tied to colorful and dramatic illustrations. On another hand, the detail provided in the words of the story resembled a poetic tone. The rhyming aspect of it is beneficial when reading simply because readers can almost predict what word is coming next. For example, at the end of the book, the author exclaims, "Where do balloons go? It's a mystery, I know. So just hold on tight till you have to let go." The last two words (let go) are on the next page, so readers are to turn the page to find out what words finish the sentence. Along with using their imagination, this concept also allows readers to become curious and eager to turn the page. Overall, the question of "where do balloons go?" is a mystery that does not have any right or wrong answer. In other words, after finishing the story, readers can use their own creative imagination to determine where balloons go after they let go of one. The artistic aspect of this story line is deep in the sense that the author leaves it up to the reader to figure out the underlying question. ( )