Once Upon a Balloon
Bree Galbraith, Isabelle Malenfant (2013), Orca Book Publishers
A young boy, Theo, got a balloon from one of his cousins. Although he was told not to let it go, he accidentally did. When he let go, his family reinforced that they knew he wouldn’t be able to keep hold of it. Theo worried about what happened to the balloon and asked his mom, dad, and brother. His dad said it went to the moon to help hold it up, and his mom said it popped. But his brother’s story made the most sense to him, and helped turned around his feeling of failure into hope. Theo’s brother Zeke, through imagination and kindness, helps Theo understand the power of ingenuity and perseverance.
