A fresh and heartwarming new story from Il Sung Na about finding the courage to make a friend. Bird is new to the forest, and he’s looking for a friend. Bear could use a friend, too. But Bird is too shy to introduce himself. Just as he musters the courage to say hello . . . it’s too late! Bear has already found a friend: a bright, shiny red balloon. Has Bird missed his chance? From the acclaimed Il Sung Na comes a charming and beautifully illustrated story about courage, kindness, and friendship. Peek inside the jacket for a special poster! Praise for Il Sung Na: "Na brings fresh energy to the familiar. With a coloring style that feels as if someone took a firecracker to a box of crayons, Na makes turtle shells as dynamic as a peacock's plumage." --The New York Times (The Opposite Zoo) “Il Sung Na’s illustrative art is so joyous, so jubilantly colorful, it feels celebratory and poetic even when the story is simple and spare.” —The Boston Globe (A Book of Babies) ★ “[A] grand read-aloud.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred (Welcome Home, Bear) ★ "It’s the rare picture book that, upon arrival, feels as though it has been around for years already; Na’s belongs to this group.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred (A Book of Sleep) ★ "Vibrant [and] whimsical.” —School Library Journal, Starred (Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit)

Theo is brokenhearted when he accidentally lets go of the string of his party balloon. As he watches it float out of sight, Theo wonders where his balloon might have gone. Luckily, his older brother Zeke knows everything about everything. Zeke explains that it is a little-known fact that all lost balloons end up in Chicago, the Windy City. Then he tells Theo about Frank, who is responsible for collecting all the balloons in the world. Theo is so touched by Frank's story that he decides to send him a message of hope the only way he knows how. A unique story filled with the magic and whimsy of childhood imagination, Once Upon a Balloon will delight young readers and reawaken the child in all of us.

Julianna Margulies presents this story her father wrote for her and her sisters when they were children. Saturdays at the Children’s Zoo with their father always end the same way for Ariel, Miranda, and Jane: he offers them money for a treat, but they instead choose to buy food for the animals. On this particular Saturday, a mysterious balloon man gives them a small reward for their kindness—one balloon each, to be tied to their bedposts that night. Soon they find that the balloons bring them more magic than they could ever have imagined. For readers who love the magic and wonder in Uni the Unicorn by Amy Krouse Rosenthal.

Theo is brokenhearted when he accidentally lets go of the string of his party balloon. As he watches it float out of sight, Theo wonders where his balloon might have gone. Luckily, his older brother Zeke knows everything about everything. Zeke explains that it is a little-known fact that all lost balloons end up in Chicago, the Windy City. Then he tells Theo about Frank, who is responsible for collecting all the balloons in the world. Theo is so touched by Frank's story that he decides to send him a message of hope the only way he knows how. A unique story filled with the magic and whimsy of childhood imagination, Once Upon a Balloon will delight young readers and reawaken the child in all of us.

Every day can be an adventure. Especially if you bring balloons. Ever wondered what it would be like to ride a carousel right off its platform? As Emma discovers, all it takes is a handful of balloons and a very kind polar bear to show you the way. This soaring story of friendship, between a carousel bear and the little girl who noticed him, will take readers to the arctic and back—in time for bedtime, of course—and remind them anything is possible. Even flying.

Bad Blood reveals that Bastille is a synth-driven band that isn't particularly arty, something of a rarity during the electronic pop revival of the 2000s and 2010s. Where many of their contemporaries used the glamour of synth-pop's '80s heyday and electronic music's infinite possibilities to craft shiny pop fantasies, Bastille builds on the glossy, anthemic approach they set forth on the Laura Palmer EP (the title track, which is included here, might also be the least arty song inspired by David Lynch's surreal soap opera Twin Peaks). Early highlights like "Pompeii," "These Streets," and the title track boast panoramic choruses and sleek arrangements that hint at a kinship with Empire of the Sun and Delphic, while the handclaps and popping bassline on the otherwise moody "Icarus" recall Hot Chip at their most confessional. However, most of Bad Blood suggests that Bastille are actually an electronically enhanced upgrade of sweeping British pop traditionalists like Keane or Coldplay. The band updates "Oblivion"'s piano balladry with ping-ponging drums and contrasts Dan Smith's throaty singing and searching lyrics ("There's a hole in my soul/Can you fill it?") with a tumbling beat on "Flaws." Like the aforementioned acts, Bastille has a way with heartfelt melodies and choruses that resonate, particularly on the driving "Things We Lost in the Fire" and "Get Home," where the slightly processed vocals also evoke Sia, Imogen Heap, and other electronic-friendly singer/songwriters. While the band occasionally gets a little too self-serious on the album's second half, Bad Blood is a solid, polished debut that fans of acts like Snow Patrol (who don't mind more electronics in the mix) might appreciate more than synth-pop aficionados. ~ Heather Phares