reviews
Jan 27, 2012
Marjorie
rated it: 
The art is amazing, and it's a great story. I'd never thought about how the parade balloons are essentially upside-down, air-filled marionettes, or considered that someone had to come up with the wacky cognitive-leap-y notion of filling a parade route with them AND ALSO figure out how to engineer them. It's really a beautiful, quirky book.
A few quibbles: Sweet mentions in the end matter that she used some of puppeteer Tony Sarg's own art in the book, but I wanted to know which sketche More...
A few quibbles: Sweet mentions in the end matter that she used some of puppeteer Tony Sarg's own art in the book, but I wanted to know which sketche More...
Jan 23, 2012
Joan
rated it: 
I happened to have just picked up my reserve from the library the Saturday before the awards were announced. Of course, I grabbed it once I realized that it had won the 2012 Sibert! I was really blown away by it! It deserved the win! I had been aware of it since I first ordered it. I figured, who would read it, no matter how enthusiastic people were in their reviews so only ordered 3 copies. It works out, since it IS in the system, and now I can use bestseller funds to order many more copies! Oh
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Jan 19, 2012
Jessica
rated it:
Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade was really delightful. It's the story of Tony Sarg, a British immigrant to America who made marionettes and eventually developed the balloons that millions love to watch in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. I never knew this story and learned a lot of surprising facts while reading the book. For example, did you know that Macy's decided to throw the parade for their employees, many of whom were immigrants, because they
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Dec 12, 2011
Paul
rated it:
Melissa Sweet has created a sort of portal into nostalgia, especially for readers who grew up on multi-modal, collage-type illustrated texts of the 70's. When I saw that Sweet had created the toys that appear on the page as part of the collages, I fell in love with this book. This is MY picture book for 2011. The cover is charming, and I thought that the book would be just as charming. . .the insides of Balloons Over Broadway are simply stunning.
In telling the story of Tony Sarg, Swe More...
In telling the story of Tony Sarg, Swe More...
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Nov 28, 2011
Saxton B. Little
rated it:
indulge me in a bit of a different review for this book:
Each year Thanksgiving Day finds me reminiscing back to childhood and smells of turkey cooking, family, laughter, love and of course, The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. My mother was cooking in the kitchen but she'd pop into the living room and join me and my father to watch the marching bands, the crowds and of course those magnificent balloons floating down the streets of New York. I always thought I'd like to venture to New Yo More...
Each year Thanksgiving Day finds me reminiscing back to childhood and smells of turkey cooking, family, laughter, love and of course, The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. My mother was cooking in the kitchen but she'd pop into the living room and join me and my father to watch the marching bands, the crowds and of course those magnificent balloons floating down the streets of New York. I always thought I'd like to venture to New Yo More...
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Nov 28, 2011
Carol
rated it:
indulge me in a bit of a different review for this book:
Each year Thanksgiving Day finds me reminiscing back to childhood and smells of turkey cooking, family, laughter, love and of course, The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. My mother was cooking in the kitchen but she'd pop into the living room and join me and my father to watch the marching bands, the crowds and of course those magnificent balloons floating down the streets of New York. I always thought I'd like to venture to New More...
Each year Thanksgiving Day finds me reminiscing back to childhood and smells of turkey cooking, family, laughter, love and of course, The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. My mother was cooking in the kitchen but she'd pop into the living room and join me and my father to watch the marching bands, the crowds and of course those magnificent balloons floating down the streets of New York. I always thought I'd like to venture to New More...
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(4 people liked it)
Nov 26, 2011
Whitney
rated it:
I love this book. Not only is it a fascinating story but the illustrations are amazing. When I got the Press Release for this book I knew I needed it for my little M. I always try and make Thanksgiving special because I feel like it can easily get over looked with Christmas. In our home it has been tradition to wake up every year on Thanksgiving and watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade while the turkey is cooking.
After reading this book I cannot wait to watch to watch the parade More...
After reading this book I cannot wait to watch to watch the parade More...
Nov 17, 2011
Teacher.
rated it:
Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade is more art than book, but that’s not to make light of the beautiful words that accompany author Melissa Sweet’s masterpiece of a book. The book is so detailed, so lovely, so charming that even if the content weren’t appealing, you might still like it, but Sweet has chosen an inspiring topic for her picture book. This non-fiction book tells about the man who first planned out and created the balloons for the Macy’s Thanks
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Nov 05, 2011
Richie
rated it:
12 October 2011 BALLOONS OVER BROADWAY: THE TRUE STORY OF THE PUPPETEER OF MACY'S PARADE by Melissa Sweet, Houghton Mifflin, November 2011, 40p., ISBN: 978-0-547-19945-0
"With a marionette, the controls are above and the puppet hangs down...
But what if the controls were below and the puppet could rise up?"
"There's a holdup in the Bronx,
Brooklyn's broken out in fights;
There's a traffic jam in Harlem
That's backed up to Jackson Height More...
"With a marionette, the controls are above and the puppet hangs down...
But what if the controls were below and the puppet could rise up?"
"There's a holdup in the Bronx,
Brooklyn's broken out in fights;
There's a traffic jam in Harlem
That's backed up to Jackson Height More...
Oct 30, 2011
Barbara
rated it:
Like many, I grew up associating Thanksgiving with the wonderful Macy's parade from New York. I loved seeing those enormous figures seemingly flying through the air above the streets of that busy city where my mother grew up. I had no idea that the balloons--floating, "upside down marionettes" (unpaginated--first appeared in 1928, the innovation of a brilliant puppeteer. The picture book is a loving tribute to Tony Sarg who orchestrated that parade with creations designed to replace th
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Jan 26, 2012
David
rated it:
Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet is an excellent look at Tony Sarg and his inventive contributions to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parades.
The book follows Tony's fascination with marrionettes and puppets as a child, into a career and on to his work for the Macy's store in New York City. The evolution from windows to the parade with silk balloons and his inventive problem solving and creativity is explained and shown.
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The book follows Tony's fascination with marrionettes and puppets as a child, into a career and on to his work for the Macy's store in New York City. The evolution from windows to the parade with silk balloons and his inventive problem solving and creativity is explained and shown.
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Feb 04, 2012
Jennifer
rated it:
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is one of the biggest parades in the entire United States. Every year, one of the highlights of the parade are the giant balloon characters that fill up the New York City streets. But how did these giant balloons come to be? Who came up with the idea? The answer is Tony Sarg (rhymes with aargh!), a puppeteer and toy maker that Macy's first hired to do their Christmas windows and then to work on their Thanksgiving Day parade. Sarg loved puppets and marionettes f
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Nov 16, 2011
Amy
rated it:
Our family might not have a lot of traditions we can list off and pass on to future generations, but we do have one. We always watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade together. We love the marching bands, the floats, the lip-synced musical numbers, and of course, the larger than life helium filled balloons. In light of the Thanksgiving season, I shared this book with my 3rd grade students and they really enjoyed it. I don't think they will watch the parade this year without thinking about the b
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Nov 13, 2011
Bdalton
rated it:
This is the perfect book to enjoy before or on Thanksgiving Day. It tells the story of Tony Sarg, a boy from England, who loved to make things move. It begins with a story about how he rigged a pulley system to feed the chickens so that he didn't have to get out of bed. Tony Sarg grew up to make puppets and be a puppeteer in London. He later moved to New York City, where he made magically displays for Macy Department stores. Macy soon had bigger demands for this imaginative employee who rem
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Dec 13, 2011
Christina
rated it:
I loved watching the Macy's parade as a child and reading this delightful biography brought that magic back. The life of Tony Sarg and how he becomes a puppeteer and creator of the Macy parade balloons is deftly laid out in enchanting mixed media format by author/illustrator Melissa Sweet. She highlights how an inventor's mind works so well using collage and watercolor that I must say I am envious that I am not as creative as Tony Sarg or the author! <sigh> And just when you have come to "
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Nov 08, 2011
Gwen the Librarian
rated it: 
This picture book biography tells the story of Tony Sarg, a talented puppeteer who invented the giant Macy's Parade balloons. What a fanciful and lively story it is! Tony Sarg says himself in the book that he never worked a day in his life and never grew up. I love that his story shows someone who pursued his passion and was successful. I'm not crazy about the collage illustrations nor some of the text layouts in the spreads. But, oh, the delight of turning that page for the first of his pa
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Jan 12, 2012
Elaine
rated it:
k-4
fabulous fabulous fabulous on so many levels. A great story, great storytelling, creative art, and a very appealing topic to kids. curriculum tie-ins, plus a lot of fun activities you could do with it. it was on the boston-globe hornbook award list. I wonder if it will be on both the caldecott and sibert lists? i would love to read it to a group of kids and see how they respond. though balloons would appeal to preschoolers, the intricacies of the story would not be as interesting More...
fabulous fabulous fabulous on so many levels. A great story, great storytelling, creative art, and a very appealing topic to kids. curriculum tie-ins, plus a lot of fun activities you could do with it. it was on the boston-globe hornbook award list. I wonder if it will be on both the caldecott and sibert lists? i would love to read it to a group of kids and see how they respond. though balloons would appeal to preschoolers, the intricacies of the story would not be as interesting More...
Nov 16, 2011
Jane
rated it:
One of the brightest pleasures of my childhood was Tony Sarg. My father gave me his well-loved copies of Sarg's children's books, and I was hooked
by the adventures of Freckles the dog on Nantucket, by the Book of Tricks, and the Marionette Book. As an adult, I collected Sarg-a-bilia in the form of linens he designed for the '39 World's Fair. Now, Melissa Sweet brings Sarg to life in this knock-out picture book, Balloons Over Broadway. I have never been to the Macy's Day Parade - in fact, I More...
by the adventures of Freckles the dog on Nantucket, by the Book of Tricks, and the Marionette Book. As an adult, I collected Sarg-a-bilia in the form of linens he designed for the '39 World's Fair. Now, Melissa Sweet brings Sarg to life in this knock-out picture book, Balloons Over Broadway. I have never been to the Macy's Day Parade - in fact, I More...
Oct 20, 2011
Beth
rated it:
Charming! Delightful! Full of good information as well as inspiration to develop one's gifts and talents. This is the story of Tony Sarg, a puppeteer and inventor who orchestrated the holiday window displays and parade for which Macy's Department Store is famous. Tells how the tradition of the parade got started and how and why Tony created the enormous balloons everyone enjoys. Sweet's artwork is well-executed, supports the story and invites readers to pause and take a good, long look. Not part
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Jan 04, 2012
Peg
rated it:
Like many, I am fascinated by the balloons in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. Not only did I learn about their history, design, and use, but also the fascinating personal history of their maker, Tony Sarg. Lively mixed-media art is the perfect choice for showing Sarg's whimsical toys, puppets, and balloons and his innovative, inventive process. The endpapers and back-matter also inform and delight. An ingenious blend of illustration and fact that will lead youngsters to imagine "what if"
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Feb 21, 2012
Krista the Krazy Kataloguer
rated it:
This book is the 2012 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal winner, and deservingly so. I love books in which I learn something, and this one introduced me to Tony Sarg, who created the giant Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade balloons, which are really marionettes controlled from the bottom instead of the top (I didn't know that!). It was interesting to read about the early parades, before the big balloons were invented, and how the concept of the balloons evolved. (I liked reading about th
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Dec 08, 2011
Tasha
rated it:
For over 80 years, there have been huge balloons in the Macy’s Parade. We have Tony Sarg to thank for that. Even when Tony was a small boy, he was inventing things. He figured out a way to feed the chickens in the morning without having to get out of bed. He wanted to be a marionette puppeteer, but was born in a time when marionettes were not being used anymore. So he figured out how to build them and started performing on Broadway with his marionettes. From there, he got a job designing t
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Feb 06, 2012
Robynn
rated it:
Winner of the Seibert award for best informational children's book of 2011. Well crafted book telling the story of a brilliant man who never lost his curiosity and his child-like outlook. Considered to be the father of American Puppetry one of his apprentices had an apprentice named Jim Henson. Melissa Sweet a puppet maker herself styled the book in a delightful way. I think that Tony Sarg and Ashley Bryan would have been great friends.
Dec 11, 2011
Brianna
rated it:
This book is a total home run for me because I am not only a picture book enthusiast, but a puppet enthusiast. I had not idea that the Macy's Thanksgiving parade was originally conceived by a puppeteer. Melissa Sweet did a nice job with this story, crafting a relatively tame factual tale into something with suspense and obstacles to be overcome. The eclectic, multi-media artwork also enhanced the reading experience because it worked 3-D elements in along with the beautiful drawings.
Jan 05, 2012
Jennifer
rated it:
This is a wonderful picture book rendering of the story of Tony Sarg, the man who created the balloons for the Macy's Day Parade. the illustrations are stunning, and Sweet has definitely done her research. This is a book not to be missed. I am also loving the trend for picture book author's to include some reference/bibliographic info at the end. I'm seeing it more and more and really appreciate this as a vehicle to show students.
Dec 19, 2011
Sarah-Greenbeanteenqueen
rated it:
How many times have I watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and just accepted those balloons without wondering how they were created? That's what I love about this book-it introduces readers into a little known history of the balloons in the parade. I watched this year's parade with much more interest. The text is accessible and the story is simple enough for younger readers. A great new treat to read over the holidays!
Dec 02, 2011
Heather
rated it:
O grabbed this one from the shelf at the bookstore tonight. Wow what a timely read! How the balloons of the Macy's parade came about. We had just watched the parade, had just seen a puppet show with marionettes and are planning to see the Denver Parade of Lights (with balloons) tomorrow night. O seemed to be taking in the story and the illustrations and I enjoyed it all. We might have to buy this one.
Dec 12, 2011
Melissa
rated it:
Wonderful. I love the evolution of Melissa Sweet's illustration style over the last couple of books. The dolls and toys she constructed as she researched her topic are used in the collage/mixed-media illustrations. I did not know the history of the Macy's parade, and was touched by it; it brought me fresh insight and appreciation to the Thanksgiving holiday.
Also, I especially appreciate books for children that go beyond the "You can do it!" and "Try again!" mode of More...
Also, I especially appreciate books for children that go beyond the "You can do it!" and "Try again!" mode of More...
Feb 16, 2012
Becky
rated it:
I'd never stopped to wonder how the Macy's parade balloons came to be, but this book tells you how! They were invented by puppeteer Tony Sarg, who envisioned "upside-down marionettes;" they made a huge splash on their debut day, when they "shimmied and swayed through the canyons of New York City."
Includes unique mixed-media collage illustrations, Author's Note, Bibliography, and Sources.
Includes unique mixed-media collage illustrations, Author's Note, Bibliography, and Sources.
Jan 23, 2012
Nicole
rated it:
Siebert Award Winner - This is part biography of Tony Sarg, the puppeteer of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It is part history of the Macy's parade, and part history of how the parade balloon came into being. The artwork is wonderful and the story is engaging. This would be a good read aloud for 2nd - 5th graders and could be used for a non-fiction book report. I really liked this book!
