Everyone Loves a Parade

Balloons Over Broadway: 

The True Story of the Puppeteer of the Macy's Day Parade

Written and Illustrated by Melissa Sweet

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011

40 Pages

Nonfiction

            Everyone loves the Macy’s Day Parade! Every year, thousands of people from all over the country watch the hundreds of balloons drift down the streets of New York. This book tells the true story of how Tony Sarg helped invent the iconic floats that make the parade what it is today.

            The illustrations in this story appear to be watercolor and sketches. The images presented resemble a scrapbook with newspaper clippings pasted everywhere. I really enjoyed the depictions of the early versions of the floats. I never would have guessed that they were made out of rubber.

            The lesson idea that I had for this story would be for Kindergarten science. The students could use string and balloons to construct their own floats. The students would need to use their problem solving skills to come up with the best solution for the float requirements given.