Orson Abbott, the painterly rabbit whose adventures began in Adrienne Adams' classic The Easter Egg Artists, and then continued in her The Christmas Party, returns for a third picture-book adventure here. As Orson and his friend Bonnie attempt to create a flying balloon, in order to enter the Valentine's Day Balloon Race, they draw Orson's Easter Egg-painting parents into their efforts. Eventually the group succeeds, and Orson and Bonnie set out on the fateful day. But will they win the race...?

As someone with a great admiration for Adrienne Adams, who has read many of her other picture-books, I've long meant to track The Great Valentine's Day Balloon Race down. I'm glad that I finally did, as I found the story sweet, and the artwork delightful! I just love Adams' use of color here, as well as her adorable bunny characters, and the overall look of her paintings. Recommended to fellow fans of the artist, and to anyone seeking fun, heartwarming Valentine's Day stories. ( )

The author of The Great Valentine's Day Balloon Race does a great job of honing in on the topic of her story. She wastes no time giving a lot of background about her characters, who are actually bunnies. She only shares information that adds to the plot of the story. This is a good example to students who tend to wander in their writing or focus on elements that are not relevant to the main point of their stories. I also enjoyed the small tidbits of scientific explanation that were scattered throughout the story. They added some logic to the thoughts of each character.

Adrienne Adams at her finest. The Rabbit family lets the youngest do his Easter thing for Valentines day. ( )