BALLOONS OVER BROADWAY: THE TRUE STORY OF THE PUPPETEER OF MACY'S PARADE

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sweet, Melissa. 2011. BALLOONS OVER BROADWAY: THE TRUE STORY OF THE PUPPETEER OF MACY'S PARADE. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.  ISBN: 0-547-19945-7

PLOT SUMMARY

BALLOONS OVER BROADWAY is the true story of puppeteer, Tony Sarg.  The story begins when Sarg was just a boy with a clever idea and a love of making still objects come to life with movement.  As an adult, he became famous for his marionettes which moved as if they were living  creatures.  Macy's asked him to create a "puppet parade" for the department store's holiday window display which everyone enjoyed.  This led to the idea of a parade in the streets of New York City on Thanksgiving Day.  Each year following the first, the parade grew and so did Tony's ideas and creations leading to the Thanksgiving tradition of the Macy's Parade.  

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

BALLOONS OVER BROADWAY: THE TRUE STORY OF THE PUPPETEER OF MACY'S PARADE will inform and entertain children and adults alike.  This is a picture book biography of how Tony Sarg, master puppeteer, went from being a clever child who loved to bring toys to life with movement, to an adult who was instrumental in helping the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade become what it is today.  


Author and illustrator, Melissa Sweet, gives the reader an inside look into Tony's thought process and even materials used to create the giant balloon puppets.  The book begins with a preface that introduces you to Sarg.  This allows the reader to jump right into the world of Sarg beginning on the first page.  Accurate information about Tony Sarg's life and the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade are all documented in the back of the book with a bibliography and sources section.  Sweet tells the story in sequential order which makes the story easy to follow and understand for children.   This book does a great job telling the fascinating story of Sarg's life.


The mixed media illustrations add details to the story and are bright, colorful, and engaging.  Some images included, such as the map of the parade route, the thought bubbles of Tony's concerns as he's painting a balloon, and a page from Tony's idea book that explained how he would create the balloons, add details to the story that go beyond the actual text.  The beautiful illustrations, which often span two pages, are so detailed and colorful they could be looked at many times, yet they aren't overwhelming to the story itself.  When looking at the pictures of the parade,  the reader can clearly tell how the balloons evolved year after year which is also detailed in the text.  

AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS

Awards:

-2012 Robert F. Sibert Medal Winner 


-Winner of the 2012 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award

Review Excerpts:

"The rush that comes from inspiration, the cliffhanger moments of creation, the sheer joy of building something and watching it delight the multitudes-Sweet captures it all in what is truly a story for all ages." Publisher's Weekly 2011

"Sweet's whimsical mixed-media collages, embellished with little dolls she made herself out of odds and ends, reinforce the theme that, for Sarg, work was play." Horn Book 2012

"This bright, brimming picture biography commemorates Tony Sarg, a brilliant, self-taught artist whose innovative helium balloons delighted legions of Macy's parade watchers from 1928 on." Kirkus Reviews 2011

CONNECTIONS

MILLY AND THE MACY'S PARADE by Shana Corey ; illustrated by Brett Helquist. ISBN: 0439297559


SEE INSIDE HOW THINGS WORK by Conrad Mason; Illustrated by Colin King.  ISBN: 

0794524060

MACY'S ON PARADE: A POP-UP CELEBRATION OF MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE by Pamela Pease.  ISBN: 

0966943325

-Have students create a parade of their own.  They could create a float, make invitations, map the parade route etc.  

-Read around Thanksgiving to teach about traditions

-Learn about how helium works

-Have students make puppets and then challenge them to create movement by adding strings or popsicle sticks.  

-http://www.hmhbooks.com/kids/resources/BalloonsOverBroadway_ActivityKit.pdf This activity kit includes mask templates, puppet templates with instructions on how to add movement, finger puppets, a box template to store your finger puppets, a maze, and even a page for you to design your own float in the Macy's Parade.  

-Information on Melissa Sweet - http://melissasweet.net/

-www.macys.com/parade This site has all the information you need to know about the parade.  It includes parade route, pictures and videos of past parades, application to be in the parade, FAQs, and even games to play online.