The Silver Balloon

This amiable tale suggests an intriguing alternative to sending a message in a bottle. When shy Gregory ties a note to a silver helium balloon and releases it from his city apartment window, he hopes someone will find it and reply. Fortunately for Gregory, a kindly farmer finds the balloon in his wheat field. Not only does he respond with a letter, but he encloses a mystery gift (a tip of wheat grass), which sends Gregory scurrying to the library to identify it. Gregory then sends the farmer a mystery gift from the city (a subway token). The new pen pals continue their correspondence until the farmer's final mystery gift brings them together and makes a celebrity of the reticent boy. Bonner's (The Wooden Doll) even pacing builds to a satisfying climax involving a science museum, a paleontologist and a roomful of children; and her gentle pencil sketches add warmth to the scenes. Young readers will enjoy Gregory's triumph over his shyness, and adults will appreciate Gregory's model of an inquisitive mind. Ages 7-9. (Sept.)