A Balloon, A Book, and 40 Years of Wonder

Some books are just stories. This one is also a memory—a tradition and a love of ballooning that has stayed with me for more than 40 years.

We’re excited to share the 2nd Edition of Curly Crow Goes to the Balloon Festival, an enriched version of Curly Crow’s colorful ballooning adventure with new illustrations, educational content, and meaningful opportunities for families to learn together.

Inspired by a Lifetime of Ballooning Memories

This story is deeply personal to me.

I’ve been attending balloon rallies and festivals throughout New Mexico and Colorado for more than 40 years, beginning when I was just four years old.

I still remember those early mornings bundled up against the cold, watching colorful balloons fill the sky. Now, seeing that same excitement through the eyes of younger generations reminds me why ballooning continues to create such special family memories.

That sense of wonder is what I wanted to capture in Curly Crow’s adventure.

🎈 More for Young Readers to Discover

The 2nd Edition doesn't just take children on a colorful balloon adventure—it gives them opportunities to learn, ask questions, and discover more about the world of hot-air ballooning.

Ballooning Glossary
Young readers can discover ballooning terms such as the Albuquerque Box, gondola, splash and dash, and more.

Updated Illustrations Featuring the Chase Crew
Children get a look at the important teamwork that happens on the ground and helps make a balloon flight possible.

Conversation Starters for Grown-Ups
Curly’s adventure also opens the door to conversations about fear, courage, trying new things, and overcoming challenges.

Why It Matters

The best children's stories can do more than entertain. They can encourage children to ask questions, explore new ideas, and connect what they're reading to the world around them.

Curly Crow Goes to the Balloon Festival brings together:

• The wonder and excitement of hot-air ballooning
• Fun opportunities for learning and vocabulary building
• Conversations about courage and confidence
• A colorful celebration of the Southwest and New Mexico's ballooning culture
• A story families can experience and enjoy together

🎁 Gift It. Read It. Share the Adventure.

Curly Crow Goes to the Balloon Festival makes a fun New Mexico gift for young readers who love adventure, colorful balloons, and discovering new things.

For teachers and classrooms, the story can also help connect literacy with science, weather, geography, teamwork, vocabulary, and social-emotional learning.

A Spanish edition is available too: Curly Crow Va al Festival de Globos.

From My Heart to Yours

More than 40 years after I first looked up at a sky filled with colorful balloons, that feeling of wonder is still with me.

I created this story so a new generation of young readers can experience some of that same excitement while discovering something just as powerful along the way—the joy of reading.

Because at Curly Crow Books, we believe Reading Is a Superpower.

👉 Order Curly Crow Goes to the Balloon Festival

Thank you for supporting Curly Crow Books, independent publishing, and stories inspired by the places and experiences that make New Mexico special.