Balloonia (Child's Play Library)

Rating:
Summary: Not what I expected
Review: The basic story in Balloonia is that a brother and sister (Matthew and Jessica) are discussing where balloons go at bedtime. Matthew says that balloons go to Balloonia, a land far away, above the clouds, populated entirely by balloons. Jessica wants to see Balloonia, so she screams at her balloon to take her there. Then she magically turns into a balloon herself, and off they go. Balloonia is a place where everything is made of balloons: the buildings, the trees, roller coasters, people. After having lots of fun in Balloonia, she realizes that she is going to meet the same fate as many balloons (she's losing her air), and she starts to shrink. She goes flying back to her house, where she becomes her real self again.

I bought this book because my 2 year old son has been fascinated with balloons. I thought a story about balloons and their "home" would be great. I was a little disappointed when I finally received this book. The illustrations, for the most part, are painful. There are several "panes" of illustration on each page. It makes the pages look cramped. The pictures of Balloonia are beautiful and colorful, but those only take up a couple pages. The rest are awful. Jessica, the little girl in the story, is pushy and demanding. It just wasn't the happy little story I was expecting at all.

If you're looking for a fun story featuring balloons, I highly recommend "Where Do Balloons Go, An Uplifting Mystery" by Jamie Lee Curtis instead. The illustrations are beautiful, and the story is much, MUCH more entertaining.