When a child becomes aware of his pending death (children tend to know long before the rest of us even want to consider it), and is given the oppor...
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May 11, 2010
Jess
rated it: 
I accidentally pulled this book as a potential for a display I was doing called "Up, Up, and Away!" about balloons, kites, and other things that "fly." Though the title suggests a carefree subject matter, it is actually much weightier than that. According to the preface, oftentimes terminally ill children will draw a purple of blue balloon as a representation of how they feel about themselves (once they become aware of their own mortality and impending death). The book then d
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May 21, 2008
Rebecca
rated it: 
I picked up this book from the library not knowing what it was about. It teaches children about dying. Interestingly enough though, in a note from the writer before the story begins, she explains that terminally ill children who are asked to draw how they are feeling will often draw a purple or blue balloon taking off into the sky. This is known to happen across cultures and religions.
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Oct 09, 2009
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Mar 22, 2011
Monica!
rated it:
This is definitely a book intended more for the friends of dying child than for the child himself--it gently begins the process of explaining death, stating that talking about it is hard, but actually dying is a lot harder, and that having friends and family nearby makes it easier for the sick child to "leave." While perhaps not the only book one would need, it certainly would be a great way of opening up the topic for children.
As an FYI for readers like myself, who picked More...
As an FYI for readers like myself, who picked More...
Nov 17, 2008
george
rated it:
I picked this up in the Bookmobile without any knowledge of the subject matter--dying. It begins with an introduction that explains: "When a child becomes aware of his or her pending death and is given an opportunity to 'draw your feelings,' he or she will often draw a blue or purple balloon, released and floating free. ..this is true regardless of a child's cultural or religious background." The book uses drawings of balloons to represent people and starts by discussing how sad it is
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Feb 14, 2009
Amanda
rated it: 
Author/Illustrator: Chris Raschka
Year Published: 2007 by Schwartz and Wade
Reading Level: Early
Issues Addressed: Death and Dying, Grief, Severe Illness
Classroom Uses: Read Aloud, Individual Reading
Summary: The story about death and dying as well as the support needed for those affected by death and dying is told by balloon people. The illustrations are very child-friendly and can help children deal with this difficult topic.
Year Published: 2007 by Schwartz and Wade
Reading Level: Early
Issues Addressed: Death and Dying, Grief, Severe Illness
Classroom Uses: Read Aloud, Individual Reading
Summary: The story about death and dying as well as the support needed for those affected by death and dying is told by balloon people. The illustrations are very child-friendly and can help children deal with this difficult topic.
Jun 14, 2008
This is a picture book about dying, a difficult subject that is here handled with delicacy and tact. Raschka uses the fact that many terminally ill children draw purple balloons, perhaps indicating their belief in a spirit that lives on after death, by creating all his characters as balloons of various colors. He discusses an old person (evidently a grandpa) dying, then a child, the protagonist. The book's not religious in any way and probably by itself will not be sufficient in helping children
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Feb 01, 2012
Sarah
rated it:
A book for young children who are experiencing grief. People are represented as different colored balloons. We learn that many people have roles meant to help a person who is dying and there are other roles meant to help those who have lost a loved one. This book addresses the death of a young person and emphasizes that hope can eventually come after much pain.
May 05, 2009
Elise
rated it:
I wasn't expecting the subject of this book to be about dying when my daughter picked this up at the library, but it was a nice book to read together to talk about dying in an "un-scary" way. The illustrations are simple yet beautiful and colorful.
Mar 15, 2008
Lol
rated it: 
THIS IS THE SADDEST BOOK EVER! Okay i know. Its a kids book. But still its so sad. I had nothing else to read so i plucked it off of the counter at the libray. It explains to terminally ill children about dieing. ITS SO SAD. Please dont read it!
Oct 21, 2008
Nelly
rated it:
A good book for any child dealing with the loss of a family member or friend.
Illustrations : 4
Content : 4
Originality : 4
Humor : n/a
Age Level : 4-10
Illustrations : 4
Content : 4
Originality : 4
Humor : n/a
Age Level : 4-10
Aug 05, 2011
Katie
rated it:
Reviewed in Spring Picture Book Round-Up Post #3 on 5/31/11: http://sharingsoda.blogspot.com/2011/05/...
Jan 05, 2012
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