Ellery Queen's scenes of the crime Book

This charming wordless picture-book, a collaborative project between two sisters, follows the interconnected stories of a young girl visiting New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art, and her yellow balloon. As the girl tours the museum with her grandmother, examining the many priceless works of art, her yellow balloon "tours" the Central Park area of Manhattan, pursued by the security guard who promised to look after it. In a dual "narrative" that is both entertaining and educational, the various works of art seen by the girl are reflected in the chaotic scenes created in pursuit of the balloon. Or is that the other way around...?

Clever, amusing, and very effective, You Can't Take a Balloon into the Metropolitan Museum belongs to the fairly small company of picture-books which manage to tell a story without any words. Robin Preiss Glasser, the illustrator behind the Fancy Nancy books, delivers an immensely detailed, energetic panorama. I assume that Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman, who is credited as the author, despite the absence of any text, must have written the story idea, upon which the artwork is based.

In any case, they have succeeded in creating a wonderful book, ideal for the child who lives in New York City, or who is visiting, or for the child who has an interest in art. An afterword gives more information on the specific works viewed by the girl and her grandmother, should young readers want to pursue the subject further.