B is for Balloons & Book Itch

Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade
Written & Illustrated by: Melissa Sweet

Many people watch The Macy’s Day Parade, but most do not know how it started. Tony Sarg loved marionettes and figuring out how to make other things move when he was little. He then made puppets and designed a special display for Macy’s Department store window. The puppets then enlarged to balloons that grew in size with engineering.

The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth & Harlem’s Greatest Bookstore
Written by: Vaunda Nicheaux Nelson
Illustrated by: R. Gregory Christie

Lewis Henri Michaux had the “book itch.” To scratch the itch, he started with 5 books, selling them on the street. He opened a bookstore and everyone was welcome. Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X were among those who visited the bookstore. The book includes when Malcolm X was killed, but circled back to the power of words, books and fighting for what you believe in.

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