cute story ... ( )

Owl and Monkey, the one in possession of a big, red balloon, the other the owner of a sock with a star on it, return in this follow-up to their initial adventure, I Have a Balloon. When Owl leaves his balloon in Monkey's care, and Monkey's playing around causes it to pop, this leads to trouble, as the simian mischief-maker attempts to find a replacement, and his strigine friend becomes ever more irate. Then Owl loses his cool, destroying Monkey's sock in the process, and thereby endangering their tentative rapprochement...

Like its predecessor, Where Is My Balloon? pairs a simple, dialogue-centered text with colorful, attention-grabbing illustrations. I don't know that I enjoyed it as much as the first book, but I do think its format lends itself to the same kind of entertaining storytelling that Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie books do. The back-and-forth of the two characters, in those books, always makes for a hit at story-time, and I suspect these books will have the same appeal. Recommended to anyone who has read and enjoyed the first book about Monkey and Owl, and to anyone looking for somewhat snarky picture-book romps with a somewhat less-than-sweet take on friendship. ( )