A BALLOON FOR GRANDAD

One of childhood's most common minor tragedies is converted into an imaginative adventure: preschooler Sam and his Dad describe the trip his escaped ballon could be making from their suburban home in what looks like Britain to Granddad Abdullah, pictured on a palm-fringed island near unmistakably Egyptian pyramids. The nicely cadenced story gives a warm sense of an affectionate, multiracial family. Ray's decorative illustrations, in the lovely muted tones of a once-brilliant oriental carpet, are full of energy and details that telegraph the several settings--e.g., the Alps, and a sea teeming with fish; geometric borders enrich the design as the balloon makes its journey. Though the theme is familiar, this unusual variation on it makes a satisfying picture book.