The Wishing Balloons
by Jonathan D Voss (Author) Jonathan D Voss (Illustrator)
A young girl named Dot is overjoyed when the moving truck arrives at the house down the street, and even more excited when a boy her age steps out, offering the prospect of a new friend.
But Albert looks sad, and he won't reveal why. After many attempts to cheer him up, Dot walks away defeated.
That night, a balloon with a note tied to its string taps her window. Unfolding the note, Dot finds a wish that Albert has written. This is her chance to make Albert happy--she will (creatively) grant his wishes.
Though as each wish becomes harder to grant, Dot learns the powerful lesson that sometimes being a friend means waiting until the people you care about are ready to reach out.
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School Library Journal
Just as this painterly illustrative style demands that readers squint, pay attention, look close, and peer at the pages to see better, Dot has to think about friendship in new ways when a new boy, Albert, moves in next door. . .Voss has taken a lesson most adults never learn and bitten off child-sized pieces, laid down in brushstrokes that will have onlookers scouring the pages for details. Dot is loving and questioning, but her thoughtfulness never outweighs her years. This book could be the basis for a week of story hours, for talks about loss, friendship, neighbors, compassion, and more. . . Ideal for the SEL shelves, but masterful in capturing the melancholy children take on and cannot give voice to.
Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission
Review quotes
A story of loss and healing, The Wishing Balloons pulses with tenderness. It's sure to prompt readers to consider extending their hand to anyone in need and to reflect on what true friendship really looks like. —BookPage
Jonathan D. Voss was a portrait artist and graphic designer before becoming a children's book illustrator. He is the author-illustrator of Brave Enough for Two and Imagine That, and the illustrator of Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh and Whoo-Ku Haiku. He lives in Wake Forest, North Carolina with his family.
JUV039220 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Values & Virtues
Picture books
Wishes
