Balloons Over Broadway is ‘The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade.’ Every Thanksgiving morning for more than 80 years, mammoth-size balloons have risen to the skies to wobble and sway over New York City.
Have you ever wondered who first invented these amazing “upside down marionettes”? In Balloons Over Broadway, written and illustrated by Melissa Sweet, you’ll meet Tony Sarg the boy who loved to figure out how to make things move, and who became the puppeteer of Macy’s parade!
Having seen Tong Sarg’s Marionettes perform on Broadway, Macy’s asked Tony to create a “puppet parade” for their holiday windows. They were a huge hit. Macy’s then had an even bigger job in store for Tony, they wanted him to help put on a parade. The first parade was a success, and they decided to have one every year on Thanksgiving Day.
The problem was the crowds got so big, that only the people in the front rows could really see the parade. Tony was going to have to make much larger puppets in order for them to be seen! They would have to be strong enough to hold up in bad weather yet light enough to move up and down the streets!
With a couple of false starts, and some upside down thinking, Tony came up with a solution! It was a parade New Yorkers would never forget! (Picture book/biography. 4-8)
Balloons Over Broadway would be wonderful to use in Art lessons. In everything that Tony Sarg did, he conveyed the sense that he was having FUN. His legacy reminds us that “PLAY” may be the most important element in making ART.
PS - If I was putting on a parade it would celebrate all things summer, with flowers and ice cream cones swaying over Broadway. What would your parade celebrate?