The Remember Balloons

Welcome to Perfect Picture Book Friday, Everyone! My picture book recommendation today is…

The Remember Balloons, written by Jessie Oliveros, illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte, published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2018.

Themes/Topics: Memory Loss, Aging, Alzheimer’s, Grief

Opening: I have lots and lots of balloons, way more than my little brother.

Brief Synopsis (from Amazon): James’s Grandpa has the best balloons because he has the best memories. He has balloons showing Dad when he was young and Grandma when they were married. Grandpa has balloons about camping and Aunt Nelle’s poor cow. Grandpa also has a silver balloon filled with the memory of a fishing trip he and James took together.

But when Grandpa’s balloons begin to float away, James is heartbroken. No matter how hard he runs, James can’t catch them. One day, Grandpa lets go of the silver balloon—and he doesn’t even notice!

Grandpa no longer has balloons of his own. But James has many more than before. It’s up to him to share those balloons, one by one.

Why I Like This Book: It was just very well done.  But the image of memories as ballons and the illustrations!

Links To Resources

—Alzheimer Disease from Kids Health from Nemours

To find even more awesome picture books (and browse them by theme!) visit Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Books page.