My Yellow Balloon - by Tiffany Papageorge (Hardcover)

About the Book

It all started at the carnivalThats where Joey makes a new friend: a bright yellow balloon. Joey and his beloved balloon do everything together, until the balloon accidentally slips off Joeys wrist and flies far, far away. What will Joey do without his special friend? Tiffany Papageorge has crafted a poignant tale of love, loss, and letting go that will serve as a comforting guide to children who are navigating the complicated emotions of grief. Rich, luminous illustrations by Erwin Madrid perfectly capture these timeless themes, making them accessible to even the youngest reader. Honest, unflinching, and ultimately reassuring, My Yellow Balloon will resonate with anyone who has endured the darkness of grief, while offering hope for brighter days ahead.

Book Synopsis

It all started at the carnival. . . .

That's where Joey makes a new friend: a bright yellow balloon. Joey and his beloved balloon do everything together, until the balloon accidentally slips off Joey's wrist and flies far, far away. What will Joey do without his special friend?

Tiffany Papageorge has crafted a poignant tale of love, loss, and letting go that will serve as a comforting guide to children who are navigating the complicated emotions of grief. Rich, luminous illustrations by Erwin Madrid perfectly capture these timeless themes, making them accessible to even the youngest reader.

Honest, unflinching, and ultimately reassuring, My Yellow Balloon will resonate with anyone who has endured the darkness of grief, while offering hope for brighter days ahead.

Review Quotes

"Boy loves balloon. Boy loses balloon. Boy breaks down, grief stricken. Slowly, heartbreakingly, skies clear and boy learns to smile again. Meanwhile -- Gentle reader captivated by artwork. Gentle reader smitten with boy. Gentle reader catches balloon-like lump in throat. Slowly, pitifully, tears subside and gentle reader comes to grips with loss. All helium and hyperbole aside, My Yellow Balloon is a masterpiece of story and art." -- Foreword Reviews Spring 2015 Edition

"A gifted storyteller and a fine artist have combined their talents to create this comforting children's tale about understanding grief. Together they produced a touching narrative for youngsters who have experienced loss." -- The News Review

"My Yellow Balloon" combines the word pictures of the author with the vivid artwork of the artist in a magical way to produce a meaningful message to the young reader." -- Midwest Book Review

"We have fallen in love with My Yellow Balloon. We believe that this book will be a great tool for children in our school-based program that are learning to cope with significant losses such as death, divorce, foster care, deployment, incarceration, and deportation. It is the perfect new addition for our grief and loss curriculum." -- Calm Waters Center for Children and Families, Oklahoma City

"My Yellow Balloon is instrumental in helping kids understand the strength of love and the power of resilience." -- niecyisms.com

"This adorable book is a stellar example of why my favorite books about grief are those written especially for children. The author tackles the heavy subjects of attachment, love, loss, grief, transformation and hope with the simplest of words, and the illustrations are beautiful enough to convey the story even without the accompanying text. It's all done in a way that readers of any age can grasp, including the grownups who care for them. As a grief counselor, I am happy to recommend this book to clients and colleagues alike." -- Marty Tousley, GriefHealing.com

"My Yellow Balloon ultimately shows children that it's okay to grieve and go through a series of emotions when they lose something. Whether it be a pet, a toy, or something else near and dear that a child grieves over, they can find validation and comfort in My Yellow Balloon." -- Terra Heck, HeckofaBunch.com

"Wow this is a wonderful story to read to children, but adults will receive something from it too." -- Chris Lewis, DadofDivas.com

"My Yellow Balloon is comforting guide for children navigating all kinds of loss, from a family member or friend, to a divorce or to moving to a new town.... This book is sure to be a classic, upcoming book that will help kids (and adults) process grief, loss and letting go." -- Delaware County Moms

Multi-Award winning title
2014 Mom's Choice Gold Award
2014 Moonbeam Bronze Award for Illustration
2014 Indie Fab Award Honorable Mention
2014 PPN Award for Manufacturing (Professional Publishing Network)

About the Author

Tiffany Papageorge has always had a profound love for stories. She earned her MFA in Acting from the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. Through her extensive theater background, which spans a 25-year period and includes work with CBS and Disney, she learned firsthand how stories deeply touch and affect the human spirit. As an author and public speaker she works with parents, teachers, and mental health professionals who want to find new ways to reach, capture, and engage children, including those who are dealing with the issue of loss. She also works with children directly through story to help them grow, heal, and flourish. She and her husband, Paul, live in Los Gatos, CA, with their three children. My Yellow Balloon(TM) is Tiffany's first children's book.

Erwin Madrid was born in the Philippines and grew up in San Jose, California. He earned his BFA in Illustration from the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, CA. During his last semester of college, Erwin was hired by PDI/DreamWorks Animation where he contributed production illustrations for the animated feature film, Shrek 2. He later became a visual development artist for the Shrek and Madagascar franchise and Megamind. Erwin has also done conceptual art for the video game industry for titles like Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. He now works full time as a children's book illustrator.