Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm

by Jerdine Nolen

Book Overview

Harvey Potter was a very strange fellow indeed. He was a farmer, but he didn't farm like my daddy did. He farmed a genuine, U.S. Government Inspected Balloon Farm.

So begins this enchanting original tall tale. Set in the rural south and populated with a truly unforgettable cast of characters--including, if you look very carefully, a rabbit, a Tyrannosaurus rex, a cat, a chicken, a cow, and a pig hidden in each remarkable illustration--this...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0688078877
• ISBN13: 9780688078874
• Release Date: April 1994
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.8" x 11.3"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Balloon Farm synopsis from 7 year old Natalie

This is a story about a farmer named Harvey Potter and a little girl. Now Harvey Potter didn't farm corn, potatoes, or wheat, he farmed balloons. A little girl became friends with Harvey Potter. One night the little girl went and found out Harvey Potters secret. Harvery Potter grew her a balloon so big it carried the little girl off and she started her own balloon farm. I liked the book very much. It had colorfull pictures and if you look hard enough you will find the same animals on each page. By Natalie

A must for a child's bookshelf!

Both of my children love this book! What kid doesn't like balloons? Balloons are kind of magical themselves and this book creates a story around that magic. One person in Aug, 99 disagrees with the use of language. It's Southern slang pure and simple. Not offensive! It's fun to use my "southern" (from GA) voice when reading this book to my children and they laugh when I do it.

One of the best children's books out there

My son (3-1/2 years old) and I love this book. It is absolutely delightful. The colorful illustrations, the hidden images, the story itself...it's wonderful. The text demands to be read outloud and is completely appropriate. We read it several times a week and I look forward to it each time. I highly recommend it!

A wonderful introduction to magical imagination

I love it. My daughters love it. This is the magical world sticking a pin into the real world. The resulting pop is marvelous.It has a progressive story line that could almost be broken down into chapters. Unlike most young children's literature, this has a protagonist and an antagonist. Think of that! The natural language makes the story feel like a personal conversation.Many Harry Potter readers will find that it contains the same level of magic and imagination as those books, but at a level meant for small children. In fact, there are many of the same items. There are so many similarities that I tell my 7 year old, who has read the first two of the other books, that it is the story of Harry's uncle back in the 50's. This really adds to the dimension of magic.

A delightful children's book

Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm is a delightful book. Everyone in our family (parents, age 8 and age 4) loves this one. The story is a tale of a man who actually can grow balloons - right out of the ground! Beyond a great, fanciful story, the illustrations are fabulous. There are wonderful pages full of colorful balloons (Rip-shot red and jelly bean black) in all sorts of sizes and shapes. This is a fun story with wonderful illustrations. Any child would love it.