Balloons over Broadway
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Award-winning artist Sweet tells the story of the puppeteer Tony Sarg, capturing his genius, his dedication, his zest for play, and his long-lasting gift to America--the inspired helium balloons that would become the trademark of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
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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 from a very young age, so when Macy's asked for something spectacular to replace live animals in the parade, Sarg immediately turned to puppetry. His puppets so far had only been about 3 feet tall though, so he knew if he used those in the parade no one would be able to see them. How could they be bigger - much bigger? And if they were much bigger, where would the strings go? Soon Sarg was off and running with ideas and a parade legend was born! Melissa Sweet tells the story of Sarg's life and accomplishments and accompanies it with illustrations that combine watercolors, paper scraps, bits of fabric, buttons and other small objects. You'll want to take your time over this picture book biography of a little-known, but fascinating, creative talent. Winner of the 2011 Sibert Award for best children's informational book.
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Add a CommentFascinating story of Tony Sarg and the origins of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloons. Light on the dates--always an issue for librarians and teachers-- but rich in narrative-- always a plus for kids. Makes this nonfiction informational book very, very readable and accessible to all. i loved it. pair with holiday books, art, engineering, inventions, and any puppet program you may have. Look for the Jim Henson connection. Caldecott Honor. Siebert winner
I've never actually watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, but I still found Melissa Sweet's exploration of the life of Tony Sarg, the puppeteer originally behind the giant balloons used in the parade, fascinating. While I'd never contemplated how those giant balloon characters came to be, I think kids, particularly those who are crafty or mechanical minded, will be immediately drawn in. The text is great, but the illustrations are the true star here. Sweet packs in the details and her mixed media illustrations reward readers who take the time to pore over them slowly. Every bit is carefully selected and put together including some recreations of Sarg's actual toys and puppets. Sweet ends with an author's note, acknowledgements and a bibliography while the endpapers highlight two of her sources - Tony Sarg's Marionette Book and a 1933 New York Times ad for the parade.