THE RED BALLOON

In this debut illustrated children’s book, a cat visits all of his canine friends, trying to trace the owner of a red balloon.

Finnigan, a ginger tabby, comes across a stray balloon while playing outside. Assuming that somebody has lost this prize and must be missing it, the feline searches for the owner. He tries his dog friends Bruce (a Weimardoodle), Willow (an Australian shepherd), Caper (an Irish setter), Simon (a Chesapeake Bay retriever), and finally Wesley (a wire fox terrier), whose balloon it turns out to be. VanCamp and illustrator Dwyer’s collaboration tells a simple tale, which, on the strength of its charming animal protagonists and upbeat ending, should appeal to children (“FINNIGAN was happy he had done a good deed. / He’d known he would eventually succeed”). Still, adults may wonder about Finnigan’s urgency (the errant balloon is afforded the importance of a lost child) and will likely struggle if they are reading the book aloud. The end-rhymes are of the unnatural type that demand a contorting of the narrative into unwieldy, unmetered sentences (for instance: “SIMON was busy packing his toys for the lake, / and he had just stopped to take a break. / Finnigan looks at Simon with his big blue eyes. / ‘I need your help,’ FINNIGAN cried”). Dwyer’s artwork, in contrast, is naturalistic and vibrant, featuring exquisite, digitally painted outdoor backdrops and endearing animal profiles (although these seem at times superimposed on the landscapes). A close-up of Wesley is a lovely example of a children’s book illustration done well while the use of distinctive, dark hues (especially purple) ensures that the pictures don’t end up overwhelmingly green.

A sweet animal tale with gorgeous images.