SYNOPSIS

A beautiful, engaging tale of Tony Sarg, the creative mastermind behind Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. An inventor from a young age, Tony loved marionettes and figuring out how things move. His talent for design and puppetry made a sensation on Macy’s display windows, and turned a one-off parade for Macy’s employees on Thanksgiving Day in 1924 into a wild success. That success and Tony’s continuous ingenuity led to the huge floating carnival we know today – a beloved annual Manhattan tradition since 1928.

PERFECT AGE 6 – 10

THEMES

• Experimentation, trial and error
• Pursuing one’s dreams, not giving up when faced with challenges
• Thinking outside the box
• Being playful and creative, no matter your age

We love

• Tony Sarg’s life story is full of inspiration for young readers – not giving up, thinking outside the box, innovating through science
• So lovely to celebrate the genius and whimsy of the person behind this time-honored NYC tradition – and with a gorgeous book!
• Show-stopping illustrations!
• A big thank-you to our school art teacher for introducing us to this book through her annual Balloons-Over-Broadway school parade and book reading

CONVERSATION STARTERS

• Tony Sarg said, “I have never done a stroke of work in my life.” What could he mean?
• If you could invent one thing to simplify your life, what would it be? How would you start? What materials might you need?
• What was the reason the first parade was created? Who was it for?
• What do you think could be some of the biggest tricks in flying helium balloons?
• What creature, character or object would you like to see as a helium balloon at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?