Comment from kiwigirl2821

Excellent

Hello T. This is a great story. I love good story lines for children's literature. I can see too, how this would make an excellent picture book. Good luck in the contest. This one is fabulous! xoxo Kiwi

 Comment Written 01-Nov-2014

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reply by the author on 12-Nov-2014

Thanks for reading 'The Blue Balloon' and for your kind comments, Kiwi. I was delighted to hear that you enjoyed it!

Comment from PatVallesMangan

Excellent

This is a lovely children's story. As a retired teacher, I would surely have read this to my class. It was a perfect story to be told for flash fiction and did not feel like it was rushed in any way. Children could really relate to this and it is good for teaching children not to wander off. There is a lot here for teachers to work with: Sequencing, Comprehension, & ENJOYMENT... Blessings Bright! ~ Pat

 Comment Written 01-Nov-2014

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reply by the author on 01-Nov-2014

Thanks so much for reviewing this, Pat. It is so encouraging to get this kind of feedback from another teacher. Much appreciated.

Comment from Caressa_08

Excellent

Another one of your stories, though not a poem, that got my attention & deserves a six....And, so clever, to shows what a kind act can do, & can understand Sophie, as balloons were quite my fancy as a young girl & felt as if I lost a friend when a slip of the hand, it was lost...Very visual story that I'm sure a lot of us can bring a memory of a carnival & fun, & too, disappointment...Helium they say is scarce these days, at least in the US...And kids are stuck holding balloons that usually come from the grocery stores, so tiny, they just stay put & not too impressive.

Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed the read....Caressa

 Comment Written 01-Nov-2014

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reply by the author on 01-Nov-2014

Thanks, Caressa , for this lovely review and your interesting comments. Much appreciated!

Comment from RGstar

Excellent

Oh well, Tony. I guess you can call that 'unselfish abandon'
A little more of that needed in this world as slight the gesture, yet huge the meaning.
I enjoyed that little read for what it was. Many could do well in understanding its implication.
Best wishes,
RG

 Comment Written 31-Oct-2014

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reply by the author on 01-Nov-2014

There is something quite appealing about random acts of kindness, especially when they come from children. I've always subscribed to the idea of the un-birthday present!

Comment from michaelcahill

Excellent

You should forget things more often, our gain. A great example of flash fiction. This isn't choppy and forced like so many flash stories are. The words are well chosen and the story flows swiftly and smoothly. Really well done. A nice little tale. Great fun to read, it pulled me in and held me all the way to the satisfying conclusion. Well done. mikey

 Comment Written 31-Oct-2014

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reply by the author on 31-Oct-2014

Thanks, Mikey. Your kind words mean a lot, coming from such an accomplished writer as yourself.

Comment from Giddy Nielsen-Sweep

Excellent

This is sweet and brought back some memories, Tony. When I was little I got lost in the crowds in the city, and when I was older, (married,) I worked making fairy floss. (My husband worked the merry-go-round.) Balloons and fairy floss make a good mix for a children's story, Giddy

 Comment Written 31-Oct-2014

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reply by the author on 31-Oct-2014

Thanks, Giddy. Glad it brought back memories for you!

Comment from kiwijenny

Excellent

This is cute and well spotted. ...er dotted.
It reminds me of the music inspired by a little boy chasing leaves
Well done...as usual
God bless

 Comment Written 30-Oct-2014

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reply by the author on 31-Oct-2014

LOL. I had to give her a pretty bizarre dress to make sure it could be spotted in the crowd!

Comment from ravenblack

Excellent

there it is, the ghost train from your previous story and now you have me thinking beyond "The Red Balloon". the way I see it, the blue balloon is her buoyancy, her spirit. so of course she chases it, trying to retain it, to remain in that child paradise of the carnival. and she is shown how to get it back by the random act of kindness by the boy who is rewarded with another. the dialogue throughout is completely natural. I enjoyed your story.

 Comment Written 30-Oct-2014

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reply by the author on 31-Oct-2014

Thanks, Ravenblack. I always enjoy reading your reviews, which go much deeper than most. I appreciate your comments.

Comment from jpduck

Excellent

I loved this gorgeous little story, so I can assure you it is perfectly suited to 75-year-old children. But I am just wondering what age range it was aimed at. My feeling is that the story content is suited to younger children (4-6, say) then the writing style which is, perhaps, more suited to (7-9, say). It is certainly written in beautiful language. I would be interested to know what you think about all this.

 Comment Written 30-Oct-2014

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reply by the author on 31-Oct-2014

Thanks, JP. You have raised an important point here about the need to balance content against vocabulary when writing for children. It is always at the forefront of modern publishers's minds. They would probably expunged 'soporific' from Peter Rabbit, the most memorable word in the book! I was aiming this more at the 7-9 year old range though I think it could easily be read aloud to a younger audience. I remember my grandfather reading Spenser's Faerie Queen to me when I was about five or six. I was fascinated by the rhythm and flow of language though I probably did't understand many of the individual words. They perhaps fell into my imagination as mysterious things from the unknown much as the invented language in Edward Lear's poems.

Comment from Treischel

Excellent

A sweet and touching story, full of childish exuberance and human kindness, all rolled up into this children's story. I enjoyed reading it, and kids will too.

 Comment Written 30-Oct-2014

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reply by the author on 31-Oct-2014

Thanks, Tom. I appreciate your comments and encouragement.