The boy has been waiting for this day for many months. It's the day his daddy comes home from overseas. He jumps out of bed and gets ready for the big event. But before going downstairs for breakfast, he takes along something very important: his red balloon. There will be many families and loved ones at the pier. The red balloon will help his father find him among the crowd. But as the ship approaches, the boy loses his grip on the red balloon. Will his daddy find him in the crowd?---from the publisher
32 pages 978-1590782637 Ages 4-9
Keywords: military family, separation, homecoming, father/son, love, connection, 4 year old, 5 year old, 6 year old, 7 year old, 8 year old, 9 year old, ship, U.S. Navy, balloon
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Today's the day a little boy's Navy Dad comes home after being at sea. As an excited crowd waits for the ship, he holds a Welcome Home red balloon tied tightly around his wrist so that his father can find him on the dock. He loosens the string and sadly watches the balloon float away. Of course, his daddy still finds him and all is well. Gently told, this story shows the joy felt when loved ones come home after serving our country.
Realistic details such as the sailors standing on the deck in their dress whites and members of the crowd snapping pictures add authenticity. Similar in tone and theme to Mindy Pelton's When Dad's at Sea (Whitman, 2004) and Sarah Wones Tomp's Red, White, and Blue Good-bye (Walker, 2005), this book's soft, watercolor illustrations reflect the diversity of the Navy's personnel. This is another sensitive, caring title for service families and those who work with them.–Pamela K. Bomboy, Chesterfield County Public Schools, VA in School Library Journal
