MY RED BALLOON

Author : Yamada, Kazuaki
Illustrator : Yamada, Kazuaki
Size : 11,5” x 8,7”
Pages : 56
Information : Color throughout. Laminated hardcover.
Price : US $18.99 / CA $21.99
ISBN : 978-988-8240-72-2

Minimalist, collage-like illustrations accompany the succinct narrative in this philosophical story of friendship and determination. Muted primary colors and simple, geometric figures lend an innocent charm to the pictures. As young readers, page by page, become more invested in the search, they can help the distressed little girl by spotting the lost balloon hidden in the double-page landscapes. – School Library Journal

 

Yamada’s debut tells a simple story with words and illustrations that are both spare and evocative…The sun goes down and it must be bedtime, the perfect end for this … lulling, sweet curiosity. – Booklist

 

This is a picture book to sit with. It seems simple, but there’s something profound about it….That moment with the sun, the other red balloon that never blows away or pops, that moment is breathtaking. And here’s where the profound part comes in. The whole journey, going after that red balloon, led the girl and her animal crew to the red balloon sun. The thing that will be constant every day, the thing that marks every day’s journey. The thing we can’t chase after but will never disappoint. Yeah, I love this book for that idea.

But also for the expressions on the characters’ faces. The heart-shaped trees. The way each spread could be a perfect painting for a child’s room: colorful, complete, yet mysterious.” – This Picture Book Life