Skyward Bound: Hot-Air Ballooning

Skyward Bound appears in the April 9, 2018 issue of Publisher's Weekly!

Synopsis:

Skyward Bound captures the imagination of the young child yearning to fly. Read along and enjoy magnificent photos of breathtaking, colorful balloons as they explore from the clouds. Learn how a balloon is assembled, inflated, rises to the sky, and becomes a rainbow of colors overhead. In this book, parents and children will feel the excitement and peacefulness of a hot-air balloon adventure!

Author Bio:

Alese and Morton Pechter are world-renowned photojournalists and authors. They have flown and photographed hot-air ballooning for more than a decade and their work has appeared in periodicals and texts internationally. They have been presented with the Director's Award from The Balloon Federation of America.

They have also been elected to the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, received the Reaching Out Award (DEMA Hall of Fame), named Hall of Fame Pioneers by Beneath the Sea, became NOGI awardees for Distinguished Service, and were elected Fellow National Members of the prestigious Explorers Club.

Their award-winning book, What's in the Deep? is a story about fish life and has been designated a Reading Rainbow Selection. It takes children into the beautiful underwater world.

Now, with Skyward Bound: Hot-Air Ballooning, their eyes are raised to the skies.

Reviews:

"From the deep depths of the ocean to the soaring heights of the skies, Alese and Morton Pechter never fail to excite. Their passion to explore has led them to a lifetime of adventure, and their dedication in documenting these adventures gives others the gift of discovery. Through bright imagery and pleasant narration, Skyward Bound opens the skies to children and adults alike. The thrill and attraction of balloon travel, accompanied by the unique and beautiful appearance of hundreds of balloons in the sky is one adventure no one wants to miss. Alese and Morton have treated every day as an opportunity to explore, discover, learn, and share. Their work with the seas and skies takes kids into nature, where they can extract and distill lessons from nature and culture, empowering them to live more gently on our planet as ambassadors of the environment. This entertaining book is both fun and educational, and I am proud of Alese and Morton for following and documenting the things that they love."
Jean-Michel Cousteau, President
Ocean Futures Society

"Rainbows of color splash the pages of Skyward Bound, inviting readers to share the view and join the gatherings of high-fliers who magically ascend above the ground.
Magnificent, modern balloons are celebrated here by two beloved champions of the skies above and of the ocean depths below, Alese and Mort Pechter, who have spent many years experiencing and documenting the ups and downs of human exploration.

In the decades that I have known Alese and Mort, I have deeply admired their shared passion for the beauty of life above and below, their joy of gliding weightless in the sea and in the sky above, and of using their wondrous skills as photographers and explorers to inspire legions of earthlings to go see for themselves the glorious nature of Earth’s oceans of water and air. This book is a tribute to their passion for life, their love for each other, and their deep sense of caring for all of the natural world and especially and for the generations of young explorers to come."

Dr. Sylvia A. Earle
National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence
Founder, Mission Blue and Deep Ocean Exploration and Research

"In this nonfiction book for children ages 6 and up, photographs depict the colors, shapes, gear, pilots, and crews of hot air balloons . . . The authors nicely convey the excitement of ballooning for spectators, as the envelopes slowly fill and the baskets at last begin to rise, as well as fans' enthusiasm for the sport . . .

"The Pechters' gorgeous photos of huge, brightly colored balloons, sometimes en masse like a giant part in the sky, are greatly appealing . . . Packed with vibrant photos and solid information, this work delivers an enthralling introduction to ballooning for kids."
— Kirkus Reviews

Beautifully illustrated with full-color photography throughout, Skyward Bound: Hot-Air Ballooning is a 72-page nonfiction picture book for children age 6 and up, all about the sport and passion of hot-air ballooning. Packed cover to cover with fun facts, safety tips, and utterly striking pictures of sky-high balloons and panoramic landscapes, Skyward Bound is a joy for all ages to page through. Highly recommended! 

- Midwest Book Review: The Sports Shelf

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