Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet

Sweet, M. (2011). Balloons over broadway: The true story of the puppeteer of macy's parade. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.

Tony Sarg had long collected toys and used his spare money to buy toys. Collecting led Mr. Sarg to reading books about toys and it is in this way that he read about marionettes. He believed that every little movement had meaning. His love for marionettes began as early as when he was six years old. He loved to figure out how things moved. He moved to London when he grew up and began making marionettes as no one would make them anymore. It was how Macy heard about Tony and asked him to design a puppet parade for the store's holiday window. Then he helped Macy to put on a parade for his employees. Tony found a company to help him build huge puppets as big as sixteen feet and then he figured out a way to make them move. 

Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ANsvikfnlk

If you liked this book you may also enjoy reading these books:

McCarthy, M. (2010). Pop! The invention of bubble gum. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Bubble Gum was invented until 1928 by Walter, a young accountant who worked in Fleer Gum and Candy Factory. He experimented with different ways of making gum on his spare time. It is how he came into figuring it how to make bubble gum. 

Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM_guwRt3Vg

Selznick, B. (2007). The invention of hugo cabret. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

This book is about Hugo and his struggles to stay alive in a world that hasn't treated him all that fair. He lives with his father until one day he dies and is left to live with his alcoholic uncle. He lives a hidden life as one day his uncle doesn't come back and Hugo is left all alone as he has no family remaining. He continues to do his uncle's job fixing the clock walls in a busy Paris train station so that no one suspects his uncle is not around. He then meets Isabelle.  Her life is also mysterious like Hugo’s and is surrounded by secrets. She has the mysterious key needed to unlock a secret Hugo's dad has left according to Hugo. The automaton is all that Hugo cares about. It is what will help solve the mystery surrounding Georges Melies' life. All of these characters grow, solve all of their issues, understand each other, and become one family at the end. 

Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfBEUhP9aCY