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Owl has a balloon. Monkey does not. So Monkey tries to find something that Owl wants to trade for the balloon: a teddy bear, a robot, a picture of 10 balloons. Owl does not want any of these things. But then, Monkey offers himEa sock! Will an intrigued Owl trade his shiny red balloon? Full color. 8 x 10.
About the author
Ariel Bernstein is the author of
I Have a Balloon and
Where Is My Balloon?, both illustrated by Scott Magoon, as well as
We Love Fishing! and
You Go First, both illustrated by Marc Rosenthal.
I Have a Balloon received starred reviews from
Publishers Weekly and
Kirkus Reviews, and it was a Junior Library Guild Selection.
Where Is My Balloon? was a Bank Street Best Book of the Year, and
We Love Fishing! received a starred review from
Publishers Weekly.
You Go First was a Junior Library Guild Selection, named a Charlotte Zolotow Highly Commended Title, and received a starred review from
Kirkus Reviews. Ariel lives in New Jersey with her family. Learn more at ArielBernsteinBooks.com.
Scott Magoon has illustrated many critically-acclaimed picture books, including the
New York Times bestselling
Rescue & Jessica by Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes, which also received a Schneider Family Book Award,
Straw by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, and
Misunderstood Shark by Ame Dyckman. He is the author-illustrator of
Breathe, which was named a
Kirkus Reviews Best Read Aloud and a Best Book of the Year by the
HuffPost and Chicago Public Library. Scott lives in the Boston area with his wife and two sons. Visit him online at ScottMagoon.com.
Summary
“This tightly paced narrative soars.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“An owl and a monkey confront jealousy, the fickleness of want, and the influence of other perspectives in this high-energy story.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A definite purchase that will be checked out again and again.” —School Library Journal
Owl has a balloon. Monkey does not. What will happen next? Hint: this is not a book about sharing.
Owl has a red balloon. Monkey does not. “That red balloon matches my shiny red tie,” says Monkey. “I’d look fancy walking to school with a shiny red balloon. The only thing I’ve ever wanted, since right now, is a shiny, big red balloon. It would make me SO HAPPY!” But Owl does not want to give it to him. So Monkey tries to find something that Owl wants: a teddy bear, a robot, a picture of TEN balloons. Owl does not want any of these things. But then, Monkey offers him…a sock!
Hmmmmm…Owl is intrigued. Will he trade his shiny red balloon with Monkey?
Additional text
An owl and a monkey confront jealousy, the fickleness of want, and the influence of other perspectives in this high-energy story from debut author Bernstein and illustrator Magoon (I Will Not Eat You). Swinging into the opening scene on a vine, Monkey is enraptured by the red balloon Owl is holding. Initially, Owl seems ambivalent about the balloon, but Monkey's praise ("The only thing I've ever wanted, since right now, is a shiny, big red balloon") leaves Owl unwilling to part with it, despite Monkey's offers of a teddy bear, sunflower, and other items in exchange. But Monkey's single "sock with a star and a perfectly shaped hole" piques Owl's interest with its possibilities. Written entirely in dialogue, Bernstein's story never diverts focus from the characters' id-driven wants. Magoon's digital illustrations slyly reflect the changing power structure-Monkey spends much of the book on the forest floor, looking up at Owl, but they swap positions when Monkey's sock becomes the object of desire-while bringing big laughs through pratfalls and other physical comedy.
