Kiki's Pick of the Week: The Legend of Papa Balloon by C.R. McClure

Ages: 4 to 7
Pages: 40
Publisher: Schiffer Publishing
*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Summary:
Papa Balloon is the story of a unique, mysterious figure who magically appears in a land where the people have become divided and are in need of greater understanding and empathy for each other. Traveling through each of the four villages in this land and accompanied by the children who discover him, Papa Balloon teaches the villages a profound lesson in a simple way. Colorfully and brightly illustrated, and a page-turner of a tale, it is the perfect book for any parent who wants their children to learn about treating the traditions and viewpoints of others with respect, while putting forth the belief that we, as a group, are more united than we realize.

Review:
This is a story about diversity and respecting viewpoints that differ from ours under the guise of people living in four different villages loving and devoting their time to the Light in different ways.  The four villages are the Village of Red, the Village of Green, the Village of Blue, and the Village of Purple.  They learn from Papa Balloon that they actually have more in common than they thought and that the differences that they do have are beautiful, not something to fear.  What a wonderful lesson for kids!  (And adults, for that matter!)

I love that when the author talks about each village as Papa Balloon visits it, the words on the page match the color of the village.  


First Line: "There once was a beautiful land which was full of life, light, and lots and lots of colored balloons."
Best Line: "But the crowd wanted more, and they kept asking him in which village were the people living the best lives.  Papa turned to them and said that "it depends on how you act, feel, think, or just are."
Best Words: crystal, depends, concentrated, deflate

Ben's Book Briefs: 
CD = Cultural Diversity
E/S = Emotional & Social Development
I = Insightful
O = Open-Ended

Kids! Kiki Koala wants to know:

• Have you ever disagreed with someone before?  Maybe a brother or sister?  A friend?
• How did you solve your disagreement?
• Try looking at something from someone else's point of view- a sibling, a parent, a teacher, a friend, a neighbor, someone at school.  

Adults! Becca wants to know:

• Do you like this style of review?
• Do you think you will buy or borrow The Legend of Papa Balloon to read to your kids or students?