Book description
From Caldecott Honor artist Melissa Sweet comes the perfect Thanksgiving Day picture book. Let's have a parade!
Meet the master puppeteer who invented the first balloons for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Melissa Sweet brings to life the inspirational story of the puppeteer who invented the giant balloons floating in…
Why read it?
2 authors picked Balloons Over Broadway as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Like most kids, I loved watching Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, especially the fantastic balloons. Even more, I loved reading about the man who invented those balloons in this spirited book.
Tony Sarg was a childhood inventor who later made marionettes that moved so lifelike audiences were entranced. I followed his story from wooden puppets to helium balloons that could move like puppets through Sweet’s incredible art. Part cartoon illustrations, part assemblages of Sweet’s handmade puppets and toys created in Sarg’s can-do vein and peppered with fanciful fonts, this book urged me to grab clay, crayons, colored pencils, fabric, paints, and…
From Candice's list on The best nonfiction children’s picture books that break boundaries.
If you’ve ever wondered how those big parade balloons came to be, this book explains everything. You’ll meet Tony Sarg, a talented marionette artist who crafted puppets to entertain on the Broadway stage as well as Macy’s Department store window in New York City. Tony’s ingenuity really soars when he is called upon to create something special for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Something that would change the face of the parade forever.
From Andrea's list on The best children’s books featuring festive parades.
If you love Balloons Over Broadway...
Hazel and Mabel
A satisfying story of rediscovering friendship after time spent apart.
For many years, Hazel and Mabel were inseparable. The two friends made up stories, spent the night together, and shared their snacks. Then, Mabel moved away. As time passes, Hazel and Mabel think of each other often, but they also…
Want books like Balloons Over Broadway?
Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Balloons Over Broadway.
Share your top 3 reads of 2026!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
166
readers submitted
so far, will you?
📚 If you like Balloons Over Broadway, you might also like...
If I Could Choose a Best Day
A fresh, fun, inspiring illustrated poetry collection you can put in the hands of any reader.
Curated by the award-winning duo Irene Latham and Charles Waters, this collection contains 30 poems that all begin with the same word: "if." Subject matter moves from the practical "if you have a pencil"…
A Foot is Not a Fish!
In a time of alternative facts and the loss of a shared sense of reality, A Foot is Not a Fish playfully illustrates the difference between what is true and what is not through absurd fun comparisons that every child—and parent—will instantly understand.
This book playfully illustrates common truths by…
