Three Magic Balloons

First, some backstory: the late Paul Margulies, a legendary ad man, wrote this story for his daughters, one of whom now stars in The Good Wife. Shaffer, making his children’s book debut, is also the husband of Julianna Margulies’s co-star Alan Cumming. In the story, three sisters are rewarded with magic balloons after selflessly spending their treat money on food for the animals at the Children’s Zoo. That night, the balloons carry the girls and their beds into the heavens (“It was like a garden, but no garden you have ever seen”), where they meet fantastical beasts, sing with three angels, and return home escorted by color-coordinated songbirds. Whipped up from elements reminiscent of Grimm, Andersen, and a dash of Joseph Campbell, the story aims for a soufflé-like tone, although passages like “the creatures didn’t need food. They were nourished by the kind thoughts of children,” can get a bit sugary. But Shaffer’s stylishness, cheery palette, and fluid lines effectively counter any preciousness; he choreographs all the floating, soaring, and prettiness so skillfully that the images really do seem lighter than air. Ages 3–7. [em]Agent: Jennifer Rudolph Walsh, WME. (May) [/em]