The Red Balloon

The Red Balloon
Albert Lamorisse
1956

Hello, Kiddos! Today I introduce you to another new purchase on a trip to one our local thrift store haunts. I have written about the film version of The Red Balloon before and managed to scoop up a vintage over-sized copy of my very own just a few short days ago. You see, the weather finally cleared up enough for us to enjoy a long over-due thrifting excursion this past Valentine’s Day weekend, so the Hubby and I took full advantage.

The book is littered with stunning color and black-and-white photographs taken from the film. The following description of the film appears on the jacket flap:

"The story follows Pascal, a young boy, through Paris streets where he sees a red balloon atop a lamppost, chases it, catches it and discovers that it has a wonderful magic power."

"Like any truly devoted friend, the balloon wants always to stay with Pascal. And it does. It hovers outside his window and follows him to school; in turn, Pascal takes very special care of the balloon."

"The dangers that Pascal and the balloon face to protect their friendship and what finally happens to them both create a delightful fantasy simply told against a realistic and charming background."

The Red Balloon is a classic tale allowing the reader to go back to a time before technology, I’m talking before the Internet, PC’s or cell phones, CD’s and DVD’s ran the gamut of the digital era we all know and love today. A time when entertaining oneself consisted of Ring around the Rosie, London Bridge and playing with an otherwise inanimate object as ordinary as a Balloon. Simpler times when you thought if you could just swing as high as you could you could reach the sky! If you were a child of a certain era, The Red Balloon was more than just a book or film. It was a ticket to another realm. That Red Balloon represented everything that you wish would happen. It’s a love story and homage to what being a child can really mean in a world with harsh realities.

And for those of you not familiar with the film version, here is an intro...... Enjoy!



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