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This is one of my favorite pictures Nancy took of my C on our vacation in California. It's so summery. I wonder what that is floating in the blue sky above her head....a flying saucer, a kite, or.... a balloon!
I have to write about Emily's Balloon by Komako Sakai because it reminds me of the Caldecott Honor book Play With Me from 1955, the classic French film, The Red Balloon from 1956 by Albert Lamorisse and of course The Yellow Balloon in Nancy's last post.
It's funny because I had been telling N about this book and how the art reminds me so much of Play With Me (which we both adore from childhood) and then, there it was at the ALA Chronicle Books booth for her to see. I took this lovely action shot of the Chronicle Books booth on my way to grab a coffee. Everything was so rush, rush for us but I'm really glad we made it. (Next year: Chicago ALA, here we come!)
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Komako Sakai won the Japanese Picture Book Prize for Emily's Balloon. It's a simple 3 color print with soft, loose pastel lines, perhaps reminiscent of a calmer, more innocent time. Following is a trailer from Le Voyage du Ballon Rouge inspired by the classic Lamorisse film.
Wow! kidslit bloggers think alike- while searching for more on Komako Sakai. I found a 2006 review at 7-imps
ReplyDeletehttp://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/?p=290
and Jules also picked up that the book was reminiscent of Marie Hall Ets! BTW there is a 2008 version of the Red Balloon with Juliette Binoche.