Balloons Over Broadway

Flipping through books on the "new book cart" at our local library, I was intrigued by one of the
titles—Balloons Over Broadway: The Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade. Living in the Northeast as a child, the Macy's Parade was a highlight of our Thanksgiving Day morning; almost as important as putting the turkey in the oven.

I pulled the book from the shelf and placed it in our canvas library bag. When we arrived home an eager, curious little learner retrieved the book from the bag. "Mom, let's read this one!" We did and I learned the back story about the balloons at which I marveled as I child. In the process of reading one of our newest library finds, I was able to tell my children about one of our favorite holiday traditions—watching the Macy's Day Parade while smells of cinnamon and roasting turkey permeated our home. A slice of family tradition and a delightful piece of American history served up during read-aloud time. 

Interested in learning more about Macy's Parade, Tony Sarg, or puppet making:

• A brief video about the parade history
• Behind the scenes tour of the parade
• Parade Memory Match
• About Tony Sarg, puppeteer
• More about Tony Sarg
• Puppets children can make
• More puppets to make

Other creative experiences:

• Make puppets and perform a puppet show to entertain family and friends
• Visit a local marionette theater

[This article is by contributing writer Cheryl Bastian.  It first appeared on her blog There's Always a Story.]