Author: - Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman
Title: - You Can’t Take a Balloon Into The Museum of Fine Arts
Illustrator: - Robin Preiss Glasser
Publisher: - Dial Books for Young Readers
Year: - 2002
Format: - Hardcover
Genre: - Picture Book (no text)
Reading Level: - Assisted, Emergent, Independent
Interest Level: - Middle to late Elementary
Topics: - balloon, Museum of Fine Arts, wordless books
Summary: - This wordless book tells the story of a balloon that, instead of waiting patiently outside of the Museum of Fine Arts, travels throughout the city. As the balloon is chased through the town, the children who are in the museum admire the artwork that they see. The balloon comically finds itself in situations similar to the ones depicted in the artwork. In the end, the balloon finds its way back to the front of the museum just in time to be reunited with the children. The story is told through remarkably detailed illustrations with unique coloring techniques.
Extension Activity: - Students will write a news story about the balloon’s adventure, told from the perspective of a reporter who is witnessing the event. Then, students will switch perspectives and write the report as if they were the balloon.
-Students will discuss the way the illustrations used color to show the important parts of each picture. How did the color improve the storyline? How would the story have seemed if everything were in color?
