A little red balloon sits on a toy store shelf in his box wanting desperately to be filled with helium so that he can be a big balloon, fly, make friends and see the world. A mom comes and buys him for her daughter’s birthday party. The kids love the balloon and Baldo is so happy right up until the kids tie him to a chair and run off to play leaving him all alone. He tugs his string loose and his awesome adventures begin. Will he ever find a friend?
Silvia Beck Speyer wrote and illustrated Baldo’s Awesome Adventures: A Balloon’s Search For A Friend
 as a children’s adventure tale for her four grandchildren who loved it so much she decided to share it with the rest of us. Her straightforward, simple illustrations make this children’s book an appropriate story for boys and girls of all ages. Children can easily understand the desire to find a friend to play with them. The places Baldo goes to seem so fantastic and far away that it will stimulate lots of discussions about where Baldo has gone in the story.
Talk to your children about what it means to be a good friend and how they can be a good friend to another child. Have your pre-school child draw their favorite pictures from the story. A first or second grade activity might involve using a world map to mark where Baldo went in the story using a red string or a small cut out picture of Baldo. You could even have your child write the story from the point of view of the little boy whom Baldo meets later in the story. As you can see, the possibilities are endless and the story is full of life lessons for us all to learn from and share with others. Â
As a mom, I am often searching for good adventure books that are appropriate for my son who is almost four. I was glad when I read Baldo that the story is not too scary for little ones but stirs their imagination. My son recently got a world map that we put in his room. He went to see where India was as soon as we were done with the story since his grandfather had grown up there. He asked if I thought Baldo met “Jumpa” on his recent trip. He thought so. Baldo the Balloon is now one of his favorite books to read and talk about. Â
Baldo’s Awesome Adventures: A Balloon’s Search For A Friend is available via Amazon.com for $11.65. Â Baldo is also on Facebook. Â
Enter to win
 I am thrilled to announce that 5 Minutes for Mom is having a giveaway of copies of Baldo’s Awesome Adventures so you can have a copy of your very own to share with your children, students, or grandchildren!
Use the Rafflecopter form to enter this giveaway. New to Rafflecopter? Watch this 45-second video on how to enter!
I was paid and received a copy of the book in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.
My son and daughter would both love this book.
Both of my girls would =)
My niece would.
My little girl would love this!
My son would enjoy it.
my two neices
My niece would like it
My niece :o)
my son would love this book
My daughter would 😀
Great prize for a 5 yr old
My great niece would!!!
my oldest son
My grandson!
ptavernie at yahoo dot com
My 3 daughters would love it!
our daughter would really enjoy this
My niece would really like this book.
both of my kids
My niece would love this!
my nephew would love this.
My son would love this book.
rsgrandinetti@yahoo(DOT)com
My son, he is 7 years old.
my grandchildren
vmkids3 at msn dot com
My son would like this book
I think my son would enjoy this most!
My grandson would enjoy this.
My grandson, I could read it to him.
My 6-year-old daughter
my 2 yr old son and 4 year old daughter 🙂
My 5yo daughter.
I know our nephew would like to hear this story book.
I’m sure our grandson would like to hear this book.
bet my nephew would like!
My nephew would love it!
I know are son would like this book read to him.
My daughter would like this one.
My little nephew would enjoy this book.
My 4 year old Gracie would love this book. I think my 3 year old niece would love it too!
my son
nannypanpan@gmail.com
A friend of mine’s child would like this book.
My nieces would love it.
My son and I!
My great niece would enjoy being read this book 🙂
my nephew would enjoy this book 🙂
My neice would love this book!
My daughters would love this book
My 18 more old would love reading it with me.
Cute book, would read to my nephew.
My 5 year old daughter and almost 3 year old son would love this book. 🙂
My 4 year old would.
My 3 year old, we love reading books together!
It looks like a darling book and a positive influence on everyone. Jane Mason takeflightbooks.com
I think my 5yr old son would really enjoy learning how to read this book 🙂
My daughters would love this book!
My nephew is five…he would enjoy this!
Sounds perfect for my venturesome greatnephew.
My daughter would love this book!
Both my son and daughter.
My nephew would like this.
My two youngest nephews would enjoy this beautiful book.
My grandson would enjoy this book!
My 7yo son would like this book!