Spencer trains his balloon dog to do tricks, cuddles with it, takes it to the vet, and on an outing to the park. There, Spencer loses hold of the “leash” and the dog floats up and away across the park and into a birthday party. The drama unfolds as a silent movie in three parts: The Pet, The Park, The Party. Everything is in black-and-white with the exception of the balloon dog, which is bright red. As the action mounts, so, too, does the danger—the sharp fang of a real dog, the talons of an eagle, the unicorn horn on the carousel. Each time, a tiny sparkle appears around the threat to the balloon dog. And the birthday party proves to be full of them: the stick for the piñata, the candles on the cake, and of course the pin for pin the tail on the donkey. When Spencer, pale-skinned with dark glasses, finally retrieves the little dog as it descends from the sky, a blindfolded party-goer is approaching. Oh-oh. Oh no! But there’s a big surprise in store in this delightful wordless offering. (Ages 3–7)