BalloonsOverBroadway:TheTrueStoryof
thePuppeteerofMacy’sParade
AUTHOR:MelissaSweet
ILLUSTRATOR:MelissaSweet
PUBLISHER:HoughtonMifflinBooksforChildren
COPYRIGHTDATE:2011
ARTMEDIUM:gouache,collage,andmixedmedia
GENRE:Biography
LIFESKILLS:Personalbest,effort,initiative,perseverance,problemsolving,
resourcefulness
SYNOPSIS:ThisisthestoryofTonySargwhostartedmakingpuppetdisplaysinthe
windowsofMacy’sDepartmentStoreinNewYorkCity.Thesewonderfuldisplays
attractedtheattentionofmanyshoppersbutMacy’sdidnotstopthere.Theyhada
biggerprojectinstoreforSarg.Hewasaskedtodevelopthe1 Macy’sThanksgiving
DayParadein1924.BalloonsOverBroadwaytellsthestoryofhowTonySarg
createdthemassivefloatingballoonsfortheMacy’sThanksgivingDayParade.
st
BOOKTALK:Whoherehaseverbeentoaparade?Haveyoueverwonderedhow
theymakethehugefloatingballoons?
Theparadestartedin1924withrealliveanimalsfromtheCentralParkZoo.After
scaringmanychildren,theliveanimalswerereplacedwiththefloatingpuppetsthat
weknowtoday.LearnthemakingofthesewonderfulcreationsbyTonySargand
enjoycelebratingthisAmericantraditionbroughttolifebyAuthor/Illustrator
MelissaSweet.
Author/Illustrator:
MelissaSweet
Melissaistheauthorandillustratorforover100childrenbooks.Oneofherbooks,
TheStoryofWilliamCarlosWilliams,wonaCaldecottHonor.Herpaintingshave
alsoappearedinmanyimportantareas,suchastheNewYorkTimes,andMartha
StewartLiving.
YHBA Picture Book Committee Title Activity Form, Last Revised 2012
Otherbookswrittenbytheauthor:
●
TupeloRidestheRails
●
ARiverofWords
●
BabyBear’sBigDreams
●
DayisDone
●
EasyasPie
CHALLENGINGWORDS:
marionette,pulleys,mechanical,jostling,immigrants,traditions,costumes,
sketches,articulate,gesture,helium,deflated,flounced,sallied,rigged,blimp,
Indonesian,tethering,shimmied
DISCUSSIONQUESTIONS:(Pleaseinclude4‐6questions)
1
WhataresomewordsyoucouldusetodescribeTonySarg?
2
ImagineyouareachildatMacy’sfirstparadein1923.Whatwouldyoubethinkingand
feeling?
3
WhataresomewaysTonyhadtouseproblemsolving?
4
Ifyoucouldmakeagiganticballoon,whatwoulditbe?
5
TonySarg’schildhoodlovewasfiguringthingsout.Whatdoyouliketofigureout?
6
SargisoftencomparedtoJimHensonwhoinventedtheMuppets.Lookatavideoorclipof
theMuppetsorSesameStreetanddiscusswhatmakesthepuppetswork.
7
Theauthor/illustratorofthisbookdescribestheartworksheusedtomakethepicturesfor
BalloonsOverBroadwayascollage.Whatisacollageandhowisitmade?
8
TonySargmadetheballoonsoutofrubberandhelium.Whatdoyouknowabouthelium?
ACTIVITIESwithCORESTANDARDS:
LanguageArts:
Writeanewspaperarticleabouttheballoons,
parade,orTonySargthatmayhaveappeared
in1924.
○
W.K.2. Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to
compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what
YHBA Picture Book Committee Title Activity Form, Last Revised 2012
they are writing about and supply some information about the
topic.
○
W.1.2. Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a
topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some
sense of closure.
○
W.2.2. Write informative/explanatory texts in which they
introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and
provide a concluding statement or section.
1) What is the main topic of this book? Can you tell some important details in the
story?
1.RI.2 Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
Mathactivities,includeCoreStandards
1 WhenTonywasayoungboyheinventedawaytofeedhischickenswithout
gettingoutofbed.Lookattheclockinthebookandwritedownwhattime
itwaswhenTony’salarmwentofftofeedthechickens.Whattimeisiton
theclockshownintheWondertownwindowdisplay?
ThebookstatesthatTheMacy’sparadebeginsat2:00pmonThanksgiving
Day.Drawapictureofaclockshowing2:00.
MD.3Tellandwritetimeinhoursandhalf‐hoursusinganaloganddigital
clocks.
RELATEDINTERNETSITES:
MelissaSweetsaysthatagreatdayisridingabiketoalibrary.Whensheisnot
doingthatsheiscreatingartandbooksinRockport,Maine.Shehasauthoredand
illustratedtoomanybookstolistbutyoucanseethemallat
http://melissasweet.net
http://melissasweet.net/
YHBA Picture Book Committee Title Activity Form, Last Revised 2012