Three Magic Balloons

February 8, 2016
First, some backstory: the late Paul Margulies, a legendary ad man, wrote this story for his daughters, one of whom now stars in The Good Wife. Shaffer, making his children’s book debut, is also the husband of Julianna Margulies’s co-star Alan Cumming. In the story, three sisters are rewarded with magic balloons after selflessly spending their treat money on food for the animals at the Children’s Zoo. That night, the balloons carry the girls and their beds into the heavens (“It was like a garden, but no garden you have ever seen”), where they meet fantastical beasts, sing with three angels, and return home escorted by color-coordinated songbirds. Whipped up from elements reminiscent of Grimm, Andersen, and a dash of Joseph Campbell, the story aims for a soufflé-like tone, although passages like “the creatures didn’t need food. They were nourished by the kind thoughts of children,” can get a bit sugary. But Shaffer’s stylishness, cheery palette, and fluid lines effectively counter any preciousness; he choreographs all the floating, soaring, and prettiness so skillfully that the images really do seem lighter than air. Ages 3–7. Agent: Jennifer Rudolph Walsh, WME.

March 1, 2016
Three young sisters are granted a magical reward for their generosity. Every week the sisters and their father visit the children's zoo. Dad gives them money to buy anything they want, and, on every visit, they always choose to purchase food for the animals. The balloon seller has been watching them and gives them each a balloon. He instructs them to tie the balloons to their beds before going to sleep, and something magical and wonderful will happen. That night their beds take flight, through the window, past the clouds, and up to the stars. They meet three angels and are led to a wondrous place, filled with color and sparkling light, where they sing the night away. They drift down to Earth with birds of every color easing their return and gently helping them land right back in their own home. Feathers representing each girl commemorate their journey. Julianna Margulies retells the tale as she remembers her father, Paul, telling it, employing language and tone that make even the most magical events entirely believable while maintaining a gentle, flowing pace. Shaffer's bright, swirling illustrations enhance and enlarge the action. Those three pointy-nosed, color-coordinated little dark-haired white girls and their matching angels, balloons, and feathers are charming. There's an innocence here that never becomes preachy or overly sweet. Tender, winsome, and loving. (author's introduction) (Picture book. 3-8)

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 1, 2016

K-Gr 2-Three sisters, Ariel, Miranda, and Jane, regularly visit the zoo with their father. One day their father gives them each some money, and instead of buying sweets or toys, they decide to buy feed for the animals. Regularly choosing to forgo snacks and toys, the girls are one day approached by the balloon man, who has noticed their thoughtfulness and rewards them each with a balloon. When they return home, they each tie their balloons to their bedposts. That night the balloons magically transport the girls out their window, through space, and up to heaven. They meet angels and animals but must return home before morning. What starts as a story of kindness and sacrifice and seems grounded in realism shifts gears noticeably when the magic balloons begin to transport them. The flow of the story and the illustrations falls apart with the more fantastical elements.

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2016
Grades 1-3 In this quiet pseudofairy tale, three sisters are rewarded for their generosity. In an introduction, coauthor Julianna Margulies explains that she first heard this story from her father, who would tell it to his three daughters when they were children. In the story, three sisters go to the zoo every Saturday with their dad, where they are given money for a treat. Instead of buying something for themselves, the girls buy food for the animals. Witnessing their generosity, a balloon man gives them each a balloon, and that night, the balloons take them on a magical journey through the sky, where they see animals, angels, and birds. The illustrations tie the story together, and each girl is represented by a different color (blue, red, and yellow), and these colors are echoed in the backgrounds. There are some religious undertones, and some younger readers may grow restless toward the end, but this modern fable is a lovely tribute to giving.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2016
Upon hearing that three young sisters have used their money to feed some animals, a balloon man rewards them with one magic balloon apiece. The ensuing magic is generic (their beds carry the sisters to the sky, where they meet angels and animals), and there's no conflict to shape the goings-on. The art, though, featuring windswept celestial scenes, is lovely.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)