You Can't Take a Balloon into the Museum of Fine Arts Book

Following upon You Can't Take a Balloon into the Metropolitan Museum and You Can't Take a Balloon into the National Gallery , this third city/museum adventure from Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman and Robin Preiss Glasser follows the same young girl, whose love of balloons inevitably leads to a humorously catastrophic pursuit. This time it's Boston's Museum of Fine Arts being visited, and as the girl, her younger brother, and her grandfather examine the museum's many treasures, grandmother chases over Boston in pursuit of a renegade green balloon.

Once again the Preiss sisters deliver an engaging wordless picture-book, sure to entertain as it educates. The detailed illustrations from Glasser - who contributed her artwork to the Fancy Nancy books - are more than equal to carrying the story, creating humorously chaotic scenes that correspond to the artwork being depicted. An educational afterword gives more information about those works, as well as the famous Boston figures incorporated into the illustrations.

Ideal for Boston children, as well as young readers visiting Beantown, it highlights the many artistic masterpieces to be found in the city's art museum, as well as the landmarks and history of this important American city. Somehow, perhaps because it is grandmother involved in the balloon pursuit this time around, this third title appealed to me more than the second. Like my friend Lisa, who recommended these books to me, I find myself wishing there were more to come...