Emily's Balloon

As one who's always loved picture books, I get excited about our weekly trips to the library. For me, there's such delight in searching through the shelves of children's books and looking for ones that appeal to my two-year-old Olivia's current interests.

Last week we picked out books about a train, a red apple, the moon, and a mouse. All of which Olivia managed to memorize and "read" to my husband and me last night before bed.

Today, the girls and I found two books: one about cars and the other about a balloon. Both subject matters of great interest to Olivia. We've yet to read the car book, but we did read Emily's Balloon before Olivia's nap. Written and illustrated by Komako Sakai, the book was named a winner in Child magazine's 6th Annual Best Children's Book Awards. And rightly so. The charcoal-hued drawings, which feature color here and there (such as the bright yellow balloon) are absolutely charming. I'd love to frame these pictures in Olivia's room.

The story itself is simple and sweet. It beautifully captures the pleasure a young child can find in a balloon.

It is also realistic. At one point, Emily lets go of her balloon and it flies to the ceiling. The only text on the page is: "Uh-oh." Then, on the next page, the same thing happens again. This time the text is "Again?" At our house, balloons always managed to find their way to the ceiling and events play out fairly similar to what happens in the book.

Another plus is that the book helps prepare young children for the possibility that a balloon they have in the future may fly away.

The only aspect of the story that bothered me was no father was mentioned, not even at the dinner table. It was simply Emily and her mother. When reading it to Olivia, I changed some of the words, telling her that Papa, instead of Mommy, would rescue her balloon. For at our house, Papa tends to be the hero.

But despite this, it is one of my favorite picture books to date. It's simple, charming, and sure to be read many times before finding its way back home to the library.