Mathilda and the orange balloon

Mathilda lives in a small world with green grass and gray sheep. Then she spies an orange balloon floating in the air. She had never seen anything so magnificent. Suddenly, Mathilda has a new thought: Orange balloon . . . That's me! The other sheep laugh: You're a gray sheep. And you'll always be a gray sheep. But Mathilda disagrees. She identifies herself with the balloon and finds she can fly, and that she's tough like an orange tiger, and as warm as the sun. And if she can be an orange balloon, she can be anything. The message of empowerment may be a bit muddled for the target audience, but they'll certainly enjoy looking at the charming line-and-watercolor illustrations, as effervescent as an orange balloon. And even if little ones don't quite understand how a gray sheep (who actually sports a yellow glow) can be an orange balloon, they'll get the idea that imagination can take them right up in the air.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist

Corace's (Little Oink) illustrations are the principal charm of this quirky story about a thought experiment done by a flock of sheep. "Orange balloon..." says Mathilda, after one floats over her pasture. "That's me!" Full of joy at the magnificent sight she's just seen, she works to convince her fellow sheep that there's no reason she can't, in fact, be an orange balloon. The pleasures of Corace's work include the authoritative black outlines of the sheep, their creamy fleece and smashed-flat faces, and Mathilda's morphing into a tiger, falling leaf, and fiery sun, all of which embody "orange" to the sheep. The visual and emotional apex comes as Mathilda envisions herself as a soaring balloon, orange, puffy, and most of all happy. Her realization frees the rest of the flock: "Then the sheep realized-anything was possible." One envisions himself a sailor on a boat, another a yellow school bus, and a third a honey bee. De Seve's (The Duchess of Whimsy) reasoning may elude very young readers, but the sounds and feelings of the words will not, and Corace's vignettes provide satisfying clarity. Ages 3-6. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

PreS-Gr 1-Mathilda is the only lamb in her flock that wears a bell, the only one with flushed cheeks and a white face, and the only one with a big imagination. She doesn't see herself as just another gray sheep, and she is not one to limit her dreams, no matter what anyone says. Despite her dull surroundings, she envisions herself as a bright orange balloon floating happily in the sky. Ultimately, she inspires others to think big, too. The short sentences that make up the dialogue provide some dry humor. The ink and watercolor illustrations depict extremely fluffy sheep, a few clumps of green grass, and gray stones against a white background and are enhanced with the color orange once Mathilda starts to compare herself to the balloon. Very young children might not understand why the rocket, bus, bee, and flowers in the closing spread have sheep faces, but those who are older should be able to connect the idea of believing in oneself with the outcome of the story.-Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Young sheep Mathilda's world is filled with "Gray skies. Gray stones. Gray sheep, gray sheep, gray sheep." When an orange balloon floats by, Mathilda's imagination fills with color, as she realizes "anything was possible." Corace's uncluttered illustrations with lots of white space match the simple story and capture the optimism of the buoyant (literally) little sheep. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

Refusing to follow the boring herd mentality of her grazing companions, a visionary little sheep uses her imagination to achieve the impossible. Mathilda's world of grass, sky, stones and lots of other sheep seems small until a magnificent orange balloon catches her eye. Enchanted, Mathilda immediately proclaims she, too, is an orange balloon. The other sheep laugh, warning Mathilda she'll never be anything but a gray sheep since she's not round, can't fly and isn't orange like the balloon. Undaunted, Mathilda happily proceeds to creatively visualize herself into a round, flying, orange balloon proving "anything was possible." Relying on black outlines, simple shapes and effective use of white space, Corace's precise watercolor-and-ink illustrations reinforce the upbeat message of possibility. She artfully contrasts the dull gray-and-green existence of the sheep with the alluring bright orange balloon as it floats across the pages to spark Mathilda's exuberant, imaginative and infectious flight of fancy. The unflappable Mathilda will tickle and inspire. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Mathilda lives in a small world with green grass and gray sheep. Then she spies an orange balloon floating in the air. She had never seen anything so magnificent. Suddenly, Mathilda has a new thought: "Orange balloon . . . That's me!" The other sheep laugh: "You're a gray sheep. And you'll always be a gray sheep." But Mathilda disagrees. She identifies herself with the balloon and finds she can fly, and that she's tough like an orange tiger, and as warm as the sun. And if she can be an orange balloon, she can be anything. The message of empowerment may be a bit muddled for the target audience, but they'll certainly enjoy looking at the charming line-and-watercolor illustrations, as effervescent as an orange balloon. And even if little ones don't quite understand how a gray sheep (who actually sports a yellow glow) can be an orange balloon, they'll get the idea that imagination can take them right up in the air. Copyright 2010 Booklist Reviews.

Corace's (Little Oink) illustrations are the principal charm of this quirky story about a thought experiment done by a flock of sheep. "Orange balloon..." says Mathilda, after one floats over her pasture. "That's me!" Full of joy at the magnificent sight she's just seen, she works to convince her fellow sheep that there's no reason she can't, in fact, be an orange balloon. The pleasures of Corace's work include the authoritative black outlines of the sheep, their creamy fleece and smashed-flat faces, and Mathilda's morphing into a tiger, falling leaf, and fiery sun, all of which embody "orange" to the sheep. The visual and emotional apex comes as Mathilda envisions herself as a soaring balloon, orange, puffy, and most of all happy. Her realization frees the rest of the flock: "Then the sheep realized—anything was possible." One envisions himself a sailor on a boat, another a yellow school bus, and a third a honey bee. De Sve's (The Duchess of Whimsy) reasoning may elude very young readers, but the sounds and feelings of the words will not, and Corace's vignettes provide satisfying clarity. Ages 3–6. (Mar.)

PreS-Gr 1—Mathilda is the only lamb in her flock that wears a bell, the only one with flushed cheeks and a white face, and the only one with a big imagination. She doesn't see herself as just another gray sheep, and she is not one to limit her dreams, no matter what anyone says. Despite her dull surroundings, she envisions herself as a bright orange balloon floating happily in the sky. Ultimately, she inspires others to think big, too. The short sentences that make up the dialogue provide some dry humor. The ink and watercolor illustrations depict extremely fluffy sheep, a few clumps of green grass, and gray stones against a white background and are enhanced with the color orange once Mathilda starts to compare herself to the balloon. Very young children might not understand why the rocket, bus, bee, and flowers in the closing spread have sheep faces, but those who are older should be able to connect the idea of believing in oneself with the outcome of the story.—Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada