My Red Balloon

by Eve Bunting, Kay Life (Illustrator)

The boy has been waiting for this day for many months. It's the day his daddy comes home from overseas. He jumps out of bed and gets ready for the big event. But before going downstairs for breakfast, he takes along something very his red balloon. There will be many families and loved ones at the pier. The red balloon will help his father find him among the crowd. But as the ship approaches, the boy loses his grip on the red balloon. Will his daddy find him in the crowd?

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Juvenile, Family, Realistic Fiction, Kids, American

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 30, 2005

About the author

Also known as Evelyn Bolton and A.E. Bunting.

Anne Evelyn Bunting, better known as Eve Bunting, is an author with more than 250 books. Her books are diverse in age groups, from picture books to chapter books, and topic, ranging from Thanksgiving to riots in Los Angeles. Eve Bunting has won several awards for her works.

Bunting went to school in Ireland and grew up with storytelling. In Ireland, “There used to be Shanachies… the shanachie was a storyteller who went from house to house telling his tales of ghosts and fairies, of old Irish heroes and battles still to be won. Maybe I’m a bit of a Shanchie myself, telling stories to anyone who will listen.” This storytelling began as an inspiration for Bunting and continues with her work.

In 1958, Bunting moved to the United States with her husband and three children. A few years later, Bunting enrolled in a community college writing course. She felt the desire to write about her heritage. Bunting has taught writing classes at UCLA. She now lives in Pasadena, California.

Reviews

[Sierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Red Balloon begins with a young boy waking up to his red heart balloon which reads WELCOME HOME. He carries his balloon down to breakfast and ties it to his chair as he eats. When it is time to leave for the pier, the boy has his balloon in hand. His daddy will be sure to see him with his balloon held high. As the ship approaches, the string begins to feel too tight on the boy's wrist. In an attempt to loosen the string, the knot comes undone and the balloon begins to float away. How will the boy's daddy recognize him without it?

This would be an excellent mentor text to use for its illustrations. Eve Bunting and Kay Life did a wonderful job telling the story through both words and pictures. Students can learn a great amount about the boy's emotions by looking at the illustrations. Additionally, toward the end of the book, the balloon is shown flying away from above people's heads. Students can learn how an illustration's perspective can change the viewing experience drastically.

[Liz Weimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Primary (2-3)

This book had me in happy tears by the end. The reader is kept in the dark most of the book, but it can be inferred what will happen. Even making assumptions, I was hit with a wave of love reading of the boys excitement to see his father again, and the fear he had of his father not being able to find him. This is an easier read, and it really highlights a different childhood experience than the traditional one. This book is timeless in my opinion and I love how Eve Bunting depicted a military family in it.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I was introduced to it be a classmate and couldn't get enough of it. A contemporary realistic book about...a boy and his balloon. It resonates with me because as I was reading I could just feel the tension and anxiety that the little boy was feeling as he tried to get his balloon before his dad got home. This book takes an interesting take on stress and dealing with it. This book is great for any reader or to be read to anyone. I wish everyone would read this.

[ElleryS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Realistic contemporary
K-3rd grade reading level
This was such a touching book! I loved getting a view into how a young child might feel waiting for their sailor parent to come home. I thought it was sweet that the little boy was worried his dad might not recognize him if he didn't have his welcome home balloon. Definitely a sweet book to get an eye into how it feels to miss a parent for a long time, or for a child to see themselves in a book if they're living that reality.

[Emmy Kirkham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Grade Level: K-3

This story was very touching and engaging. It gave a great insight on what it is like to have a parent come back from the military and it would be wonderful for a child about to experience that to read. The illustrations were so detailed and colorful and they added more emotion to the story. Overall, I loved this book and will keep it in mind for students who might go through something similar.

[Ryann Norris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Contemporary realistic fiction
Grade:k-2
I like how this book could be a window into what the life would be like for a kid who has a parent in the military or another career that causes him or her to be away often. I like the illustrations and how it connects well with the story. I also like how this book could be a "faith in humanity" story because although the little boy's plan does not go as he had hoped, he still ends up happy and with his father.

[Maudie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Contemporary Realistic
Grade:2-3
Love the book it has a strong message about how children of Navy parents feel. It is unbelievably heart wrenching. I literally had tears down my face at the end I know children in school can relate to this and they are also worried about if they mom or dad will forget them like the main character its heartbreaking and extremely moving.

[Rachel Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Grade Level: 1-3

This book could be extremely helpful for children who have a family member in the war or away for some reason. It is reassuring that the family member will not forget them, as this may be a fear of these children. The illustrations are nice and it is a well written story. I loved the message and it was very tender and heart warming.

[Abbie Gerig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Grades: Pre K-2

I decided to read this book because it sounded like a good book from one of the activities we did in Children's Lit class. How the boy thought that his father would not know who he was without the balloon was so cute. I had a smile on my face the whole time I was reading this book because I knew that in the end, the father would embrace his son, and the boy would be with his father again even though he lost the balloon.

[Carlie Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Contemporary Realistic
Grade: 1-3
Review: The book was about a little boy who was going to give a balloon to his dad returning from war. This is a good story because there are children that can relate to this book because they have a parent in the war. If the child can’t relate they can read it and see what their classmate or someone that they know goes through.

[Tallon Dorough]

Text to world connection

This book connects to things going on in the world because so many children come from military families. This book shows how excited the child is about his dad coming home. I know a lot of children and adults who are excited for their family member to come home. This book shows them that they are not alone.

[Mady Beaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contemporary Realistic
K-3
This story is about a little boy who is so excited for his dad to come back from being overseas. He is getting ready and brings along his red balloon so his dad will be able to find him in the crowd, but then something unexpected happens and it leaves him very worried! This is a super cute story about the love between a father and his son.

[June Brault · Rating 5 out of 5]

1st -3rd Grade
Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

This is a great book for children who has family in the military. I know it must be hard for kids and so this is a good book for them to relate to. Especially if they are worried about mom/dad forgetting them.

[Sarah Limb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells a side of story that I have never seen before in a children’s book. A little boy is seeing his father after many months of him being gone because of being in the military. The little boy is anxious and excited! I just felt the story fell a little flat. But it was nice!

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little boy's father is returning from serving in the military; illustrated by Kay Life

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute story about a fathers homecoming from the navy
Child makes a red welcome home banner
Endearing
Loved it

[Pinky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A boy's red balloon makes it way past his beloved father.

[Elijah Zarate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple and sweet. Definitely likeable. 7/10

[Ryan Koontz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Reading Level: Early Primary
This story really shows the impact of seeing your loved ones come home from the military. It gives insight to the thoughts and feelings of those children you might meet who has a parent who serves.

[Jessica Starzyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was happy about the end of the story. It gave me some insight into what it would be like if my father was gone over seas. I felt so bad for the little boy when he thought his father wouldn’t recognize him. Any father would remember his sweet boy.

Grade: k-3
Genre: Contemporary Realistic

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story of this book. My husband is in the Navy and I can relate to the little boy's anxious excitement as he awaits the arrival of his sailor father from overseas. The problem I had was not with the text, but with the illustrations. I could not get over the fact that in the pictures (including one very prominently displayed on the back cover) the rate and the uniform do not match. As my husband pointed out, the rate shown on his upper left arm is that of a master chief. This would be at the highest level paygrade (an E9) for an enlisted sailor. The dress white uniform shown would never be worn by someone of a rate of E7 and up. (My husband was recently promoted to Chief Petty Officer which involved him having to get a completely different set of dress uniforms, so I am very aware of this difference in uniform.) Also, there are no “hash marks” on his cuffs of his sleeves, nor does he have many ribbons on the front left side of his chest. (As I remember, “hash marks,” or diagonal line patches are given for every four years of service. If someone was a master chief, he or she would have had to have at least 9 years in the Navy.) Unfortunately these significant errors by the illustrator spoiled for me what was a wonderful coming home story.

I do think that the story has merit and would still use the book with students. This would probably be best with K-3rd grade. As we read the story, I would start a discussion about the emotions of the boy and the significance of this red balloon. I might have them journal about a time when they, too, felt anxious, yet excited, about something. Then I would choose a couple of students to share their experiences.

Later, as a learning tool, I would note that sometimes illustrators don’t always depict things with complete accuracy. We could then do some light research together (carefully guided by myself if it is online) looking up the accurate markings and uniforms of an enlisted sailor. We could then have a discussion on the importance of accuracy in illustrations and when it matters and when it does not. For example, if you are an author/ illustrator making a book about a specific person, place or thing, you would want to make sure to do research to depict that person, place or thing accurately. This would include having descriptions or illustrations about someone who has a job that wears a particular uniform such as police officers, firemen, anyone in the military, etc. However, if you are writing about a general person, place or thing, you might do some research, but the description or illustration wouldn’t have to be exact. One such case would be if you are writing about students in a school. If it is a fictitious place, you might research what various schools look like, and then mesh those ideas into one imaginary place. Some aspects could be the same, but it would not make as much of a difference if they were exactly same.

**Note: See this web page to see the insignia for Enlisted Navy rates:

[Kathryn Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

The waiting is over, and one little boy is headed to the pier to meet his sailor Daddy, who is finally coming home. Tied around his wrist is a red balloon that is shaped like a heart, with the words 'Welcome Home' printed on it. This is how the boy's Daddy will find him easily in the bustling crowd at the pier. He won't look at the band, or the woman giving out flowers, or the tall, tall man who is waiting for his daughter. He will look straight at the red balloon that is shaped like a heart and find his family waiting for him. But suddenly, the balloon comes loose, and no one can grab it before it floats up into the sky. How will his Daddy find him in that big crowd without the balloon, and will he still know his little boy after such a long time away?

This is my final Veteran's Day post, and I've saved the best for last. I love books that reveal the secret fears of children and help them get resolved in the safe context of a story. The beginning of this story makes it clear that this is not the first time the boy's father has gone away and come back, but it is the first time that he has been afraid that his father won't know him. Fear and anxiety is always new, and this story does a good job of discussing it without making you feel like you're in a therapy session. The story feels like it's about the descriptions, the cereal for breakfast, the gigantic ship that brings the sailors, the girl who tries to hold his balloon string and, of course, the red balloon that is shaped like a heart. But when the balloon slips away and the boy has to face his true fear, we all realize what the story has been about the whole time. The boy needs to understand that although the balloon pointed his father in the right direction, he didn't need it to know them at all.

My daughters all enjoyed this story. They were so delighted with the pictures and descriptions of balloons and banners and bands and flowers that the real message of the story kind of sneaked up on them at the end, which is exactly the point. We all learn best when we don't realize we're being taught something. My four year old was the biggest surprise. I did not expect her to like this one, but she just loved the big boat. She always came back to it, enchanted by the idea of a boat as big as a building, so big that the top of it didn't even show in the picture once it was docked at the pier. As I mentioned in my Veteran's Day post, my husband never deployed, but this book is about the heart, the feeling of a homecoming, and that is something that all kids can relate to. And I feel that the more that kids are exposed to the experiences that other kids go through, the better it will be for them. This is one of the reasons I love picture books so much- they are the one hundred percent best way to expose children to the "other." In a picture book, what would be different, confusing, and scary suddenly becomes engaging, accessible and relatable.

http://childrensbooksonadime.wordpres...

[Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars
2-5th
Realistic fiction
This book could potentially connect with many people in our society today. As I was reading this book, I realized how blessed I am to not have had a parent who was in the military, risking their life every single day. I think that this book gives a good view of the young boy and his emotions about his father coming home. Having this book in your classroom library would be great, as someone who has a parent/family member in the military will be able to connect very easily.

[Mike Romesburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Final Project" - Author Study: Eve Bunting

This was easily a five star choice for me. Such a heart warming story that deals primarily with separation and being reunited with a loved one. Unfortunately, many children today are separated from loved ones regularly as they are off protecting us and fighting for our country. These kids often wonder if or when they will ever see their loved one again. Fortunately, in this case, the boy is reunited with his father and even gets to show him the balloon he made for his fathers welcome home gathering.

Although separation and being reunited seem to be the two primary themes in the story, faith is an underlying theme that is very important that children can connect to as well. For instance, the boy and his mother have been living on their own for months, but always seemed to stay optimistic about the return of the father/husband. This is an excellent life tip that children need to always keep in mind, no matter how hard a situation may seem, hope always exists.

[Emily Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is good for a read aloud. It is about a little boy and his mom who is waiting for his dad to get home from overseas. I think students would really be able to connect with in some way. Many of our students may know someone who is overseas or maybe they are just separated from a loved one for some reason.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good story to read to children whose parent is deployed. It's a heartwarming homecoming story and it accurately depicts the excitement and anxiety that surrounds a loved one's return. The illustrations are very lifelike and expressive.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young lad in anticipation for his father to return home from deployment, loses the balloon that he had to let his dad know where he would be on the dock when the ship arrived. The balloon floats to the ship and his dad sees it, and the reunion is a happy one.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young boy waits for his father returning from war to get off his ship.

[Zonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Military Dad coming home is welcomed by his son and his red balloon.

[Cws]

JEPIC-Bun