"Owl has a red balloon and Monkey wants it, but Owl does not want to share. So Monkey tries to find something to trade for the balloon"--

“This tightly paced narrative soars.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “An owl and a monkey confront jealousy, the fickleness of want, and the influence of other perspectives in this high-energy story.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “A definite purchase that will be checked out again and again.” —School Library Journal Owl has a balloon. Monkey does not. What will happen next? Hint: this is not a book about sharing. Owl has a red balloon. Monkey does not. “That red balloon matches my shiny red tie,” says Monkey. “I’d look fancy walking to school with a shiny red balloon. The only thing I’ve ever wanted, since right now, is a shiny, big red balloon. It would make me SO HAPPY!” But Owl does not want to give it to him. So Monkey tries to find something that Owl wants: a teddy bear, a robot, a picture of TEN balloons. Owl does not want any of these things. But then, Monkey offers him…a sock! Hmmmmm…Owl is intrigued. Will he trade his shiny red balloon with Monkey?

This is the first volume - design criteria - of a four-volume series on building your own hot-air balloon. The author is an expert balloon pilot and experienced balloon builder, and nothing is left out.

A Bank Street Best Book of the Year “Fans of Elephant and Piggie will be right at home with the humor and the repartee.” —Kirkus Reviews “Vibrant art and a comical text make this a great pick for storytime.” —Booklist Owl and Monkey from I Have a Balloon are back! But what happened to Owl’s balloon? Find out in this hilarious picture book about making mistakes and finding forgiveness. Owl has a balloon. Monkey has a sock with a star and a perfectly shaped hole. But then Owl asks Monkey to hold his balloon, just for a second. What do you think happens? POP! When Owl returns and asks for his balloon, Monkey offers him everything under the sun…except for the balloon. Can their friendship survive this catastrophe? Kirkus Reviews praised Owl and Monkey’s first adventure, I Have a Balloon, “This tightly paced narrative soars,” in a starred review.

In the 21st century - the age of the budget airline - where quick and reliable air travel is available to a large segment of society, it seems hard to comprehend that it is less than 250 years since the first human took to the skies. Although the wing of the bird seemed like the most obvious natural mechanism to attempt replicate, it was actually contained hot air, as demonstrated by the Montgolfiers and their balloon, that gave birth to the era human aviation. Since the first manned balloon flight in 1783, developments have come thick and fast, the airship, the aeroplane, and finally the space shuttle. This reprint of a classic publication from 1879 contains a wealth of fascinating information on the early history of aviation. Complete with illustrations and a brand new introduction, it covers the adventures of the great aeronauts such as Coxwell and Rozier, and famous ascents like that of the Zenith. This is a wonderful work for anyone with an interest in the technology and events that defined the lighter-than-air period of aeronautics.