Sebastian and the Balloon

K-Gr 2--Sebastian sits on the roof of his house. "There is nothing to see on my street, he thought. Nothing to see at all." Readers see a close-up of the glum boy and the top of the roof; his world indeed looks small and boring. On the page turn, he decides, "Tonight I'll leave and see something new for a change." Now Sebastian stands on the roof silhouetted by a giant moon, and the whole neighborhood is revealed. Although the houses are uniform and unexciting, the world seems large and full of possibilities. Accompanied by a little bird, Sebastian sets off in a balloon built from afghans and quilts. He and his companion share pickle sandwiches with a bear, crash into a tall bird that pops their balloon, and land on the house of a trio of elderly knitters who repair the vehicle. When the wind picks up, they all fly off together to find "The most perfect roller-coaster you will ever see." They fix the broken-down coaster and spend the day enjoying their handiwork, "Until the wind picked up and it was time to go." Readers who don't mind a slightly open-ended narrative will adore this dreamy, experiential story for its quirky charms. Stead's trademarks are present in this volume: pithy, talking animals, quixotic travel, and a matter-of-fact sensibility offsetting fantastic events. Marvelous artwork guarantees that his fans won't be disappointed.--Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Library, MN

Stead returns to elements of A Home for Bird and Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat in this story of a spontaneous journey, motivated by boredom. "There is nothing to see on my street," laments Sebastian, observing his drab neighborhood from the steep roof of his house. Two page turns later, the boy has built a spherical hot-air balloon "from Grandma's afghans and patchwork quilts" and sets off. Each time Sebastian lands, he meets someone and shares a pickle sandwich; soon, a bear, a stork, and three elderly sisters have come aboard. Together they travel to a rickety wooden roller coaster, which they repair and ride "until the wind picked up and it was time to go." With a retro palette of cyan, rust orange, and mustard, Stead's moody charcoal-line illustrations recall Ray Cruz's 1970s illustrations for Judith Viorst's Alexander books. The low-key story is infused with melancholy (Sebastian never smiles) yet offers a degree of comfort as Sebastian and his fellow lonely hearts band together on a journey with no real destination in mind. Ages 3-7. Agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Literary Management. (Oct.)