Balloon friend

Abhay’s dad finally came home last night with a happy face balloon in his hand! Thanks to this weekly homecoming ritual, we now have three to four yellow smiley balloons floating at different heights at home. Children are always fascinated by balloons, esp. helium filled balloons that you see in many places like car showrooms, malls, restaurants, or even rental offices in apartments. In fact if your kid gets a haircut, he gets a balloon that you have to guard with your life as you walk out of the shop till you get into your car, lest it flies away. A little carelessness can yield disastrous results. Once, after a hair cut, Abhay’s balloon flew away sinking him into a sea of depression. We heard our four year old making profound statements like “I don’t want anything anymore!!”:-) Not letting him wallow in despair, we made a trip to a party store and got him more than he could ask for. Abhay now gets his haircuts done at home!:-)

So today I read to him “Emily’s Balloon” by Komako Sakai. A book best suited for toddlers and preschoolers who can easily relate to Emily’s allure. Emily gets a balloon that she takes home tied to her finger. At home her mother attaches a spoon to the balloon that takes a shape of her friend who gives her company when playing in the yard or picking flowers. Just as she crowns her balloon friend with a tiara of leaves, the wind blows and the balloon gets stuck in a tree. Her mother promises to borrow a ladder and get her tangled friend back the next day. But Emily still misses the balloon at the dinner table and later at bed when she looks out of the window to wish her balloon friend ‘Good Night’! A book that may cost you a trip to the store for balloon shopping!