Review: The Legend of Papa Balloon by C.R. McClure, Illustrated by Steven Kernen

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Papa Balloon is the story of a unique, mysterious figure who magically appears in a land where the people have become divided and are in need of greater understanding and empathy for each other. Traveling through each of the four villages in this land and accompanied by the children who discover him, Papa Balloon teaches the villages a profound lesson in a simple way. Colorfully and brightly illustrated, and a page-turner of a tale, it is the perfect book for any parent who wants their children to learn about treating the traditions and viewpoints of others with respect, while putting forth the belief that we, as a group, are more united than we realize. Early Reader; Ages 5-8.
C.R. McClure resides in Pennsylvania with his wife and daughter. He is actively engaged in the promotion of spiritual coexistence. Steven Kernen is a muralist and caricaturist. He and his wife and children live in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

MY TAKE:
This sounded like a cute book, and I was more or less right.

In The Legend of Papa Balloon, a mysterious figure named Papa Balloon appears in a world filled with balloons, and the people expressed their love of the Light using the balloons.

After the first few pages, I immediately felt that this book was about the different religions/religious sects. Of course, this could probably apply to other things too, however, religions were the first thing I thought of. Now, some may be turned off by the idea of religion, but I wasn't. I actually agreed with the idea in the book. In fact, that's exactly how I feel about the different religions and the different sects in the different religions. I doubt that there's one religion that's better or more correct than the others. I feel like, in the end, it's really just one God, in many different forms. I don't think that God would punish people who were in a certain religion even though they were good in life. I think it's more important to do good and be kind than it is to belong to a particular religion. I know several people from different religions who are very religious but outside their places of worship, they don't seem to follow their religion's teachings.

This book has a very positive message, which is great. The illustrations are simple, but that's okay because the message is more important here.

Thanks to NetGalley and Schiffer Publishing Ltd. for the e-ARC. Publication date of The Legend of Papa Balloon is on March 29, 2013.

THE GOOD:

1. The message is important and worth the read for kids.
2. Papa Balloon is a cute character.
3. The message and the book transcends cultures.

THE BAD:

1. Some people may not be a fan of the religious undertones.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

And those gathered around realized that the Light contained all the colors and that it falls on everyone equally...no matter who they are or where they live.

READ IT IF:

1. You believe that no religion is better than the others.
2. You want to teach your kid about tolerance.
3. You want to teach your kid to be open-minded.

RATING:


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