Looking for a Thanksgiving read-aloud with real substance? Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet tells the true story of Tony Sarg, the puppeteer behind the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons. It’s a Sibert Medal winner, and the collage-style art is worth lingering over.
While I love all turkey books, Balloons Over Broadway is a breath of fresh air in the collection of Thanksgiving read-alouds!
The illustrations are perfect (the illustrator is a Caldecott Honor Winner). After the read-aloud, I would suggest giving students the opportunity to read the book independently so they can pour over the detailed illustrations. The author/illustrator Melissa Sweet uses a variety of media to create the pictures.
Focus… Cause and Effect
I think this story lends itself well to focusing on cause and effect. Tony is a problem solver, and he demonstrates that time and again in the book.
I have included a printable page you can use if you would like to highlight cause and effect when using this book in your classroom. The file also includes a text-to-self connection story extension page.
Download the free cause-and-effect and ‘things I love’ pages.
One thing I really appreciate about this story is that Tony finds something he loves and follows his heart to build a life doing what he loves. The free story extension page asks children to list the things they love to do… this would be a great springboard for student sharing and for discussing career opportunities that align with those talents or interests. Even with elementary students, I think these conversations are important!
If you are looking for additional Thanksgiving resources, you might want to take a look at these…
I hope you will read Balloons Over Broadway to your students this holiday season!
You might also enjoy this blog post… How to Catch a Turkey with a focus on the author’s word choice!
