Ever wonder how a balloon is made? Follow the journey of a balloon from its beginnings as gooey sap in a tree to its completion at a rubber factory. You’ll be surprised to discover what a balloon started out as and how it becomes the bright, air-filled decoration that you enjoy today. K-Gr 2-With a little green tropical bird on every spread, the process of balloon making is outlined. Bright, full-color illustrations show the steps of harvesting and processing sap from rubber trees, shipping it to factories, and forming it into balloons of all sizes, shapes, and colors. Two lines of rhyming text on every page pulsate with action and engage readers: "The forms are flipped then dipped in quick-/a trick to make the color stick." These words must be read aloud to enjoy the internal rhyming and wonderful use of language. Back matter has activities that amplify the learning and a discussion of rubber as a natural resource. Beautiful, fun, and informative-a complete success.-Frances E. Millhouser, formerly at Fairfax County Public Library, VAα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. With a little green tropical bird on every spread, the process of balloon making is outlined...These words must be read aloud to enjoy the internal rhyming and wonderful use of language. --School Library Journal Rhyming couplets and effective illustrations describe the general process by which latex is extracted from trees, converted into a colorful mix, shaped into forms, treated and sent to stores to be sold as balloons. --Kirkus Reviews Reading this book is bound to give readers a newfound appreciation for the story behind those short-lived rubber products that are so much fun to blow up, tie in a knot, and then bounce across a room or outside. --Reading Today Danna Smith received excellent reviews for Pirate Nap and Two at the Zoo, which was featured in Parenting Magazine and is a Raising Readers board book special edition. The inspiration for her most recent book, Balloon Trees, came from her husband's line of work running a rubber manufacturing plant. Although his company makes industrial rubber products, Danna chose to follow the creation of a fun product that is near and dear to a child's heart: the balloon. She lives in Northern California with her husband, two grown children, and their cocker spaniel, Peanut. Laurie Allen Klein has been a freelance artist for nearly 25 years. Over the last several years, she has worked as the on-staff artist for a marine park, where she does everything from painting life-size sea animal murals to illustrating children's activity books. In addition to Saving Kate's Flowers, They Just Know, Laurie has illustrated The Ghost of Donley Farm, Fur and Feathers, Where Should Turtle Be?, Little Skink's Tail, Solar System Forecast, Meet the Planets, If a Dolphin Were a Fish and Balloon Trees for Arbordale. She was the winner of the Outstanding Pennsylvania Author/Illustrator Award from the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association in 2008 and is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Laurie lives in Florida.