Beaten by A Baloon

A whimsical parody of politically correct parentsSam Appleby's dad won't make him a sword, or even let him play with a water pistol. Instead, Dad buys Sam a nice, nonviolent sunflower and a balloon. But when Dad and Sam find themselves being threatened by the dread robber Buckbounder, they learn there's more bang in a sunflower than they could have ever guessed...This bit of inspired silliness comes from the incomparable team of Margaret Mahy and Jonathan Allen. Booklist said of their last collaboration, The Three-Legged Cat, The plot is deliciously ludicrous....The broad wit of the watercolor illustrations ensures that kids will tune into the humor of the story.